CONSERVATION charity Trees for Life has won accreditation as a living wage employer under the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative.

The organisation has committed to ensuring that staff and contractors will receive at least £8.45 per hour regardless of age, which is significantly more than the current government minimum wage premium for over 25s of £7.20 per hour.

Trees for Life chose to pay the real living wage on a voluntary basis.

It has 23 full and part-time staff based in two locations — at its head office near Forres, Moray and at its acclaimed Dundreggan Conservation Estate in Glenmoriston, Inverness-shire.

Steve Micklewright, CEO of Trees for Life, said: “Low pay is a real problem in rural Scotland, coupled with higher than average living costs for things like transport. So we think it’s really important to ensure that all employees have a fair rate of pay. We hope to show that it is possible to thrive and grow as an organisation on that basis.”

Alan Watson Featherstone, the organisation’s founder, added: “Trees for Life has always been fully committed to its staff and this accreditation goes to show that we support our employees.

“We hope to inspire other similar projects elsewhere in Scotland and encourage other organisations to pay the living wage.”

The charity’s commitment to fair pay has been welcomed by the Poverty Alliance, which delivers the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation.

The real living wage is an hourly rate based on the best available evidence on living standards in the UK and is reviewed annually.

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “Congratulations to Trees for Life on demonstrating the importance of the real living wage by becoming a living wage employer.

“The living wage makes a huge difference to people’s lives and is an important tool to help address levels of in-work poverty.

“My hope is that more organisations follow their lead by becoming accredited — making a public commitment to their staff and the wider community that they are a fair dealing employer.”

Trees for Life is an award-winning charity which aims to save the Caledonian Forest, a habitat found only in Scotland and of global importance.

The forest once covered a large area of the Highlands but is now reduced to just a few fragments.

The charity is funded by donations from individuals, charitable trusts and corporate supporters with hundreds of volunteers helping to plant trees every year.

The charity has so far planted around 1.3 million trees.

People can support Trees for Life by becoming members and by funding dedicated trees and groves.

Volunteers carry out almost all of the charity’s practical conservation work, including through conservation weeks in beautiful locations, with information available on www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Last week, a city farm in Edinburgh became the 800th organisation in Scotland to be accredited as a living wage employer since the scheme starting in 2014.

Secretary for Fair Work Keith Brown visited Gorgie City Farm to mark the milestone in the Scottish Government target of reaching 1000 accredited employers by autumn 2017. He said it was a “significant step to promote our drive for fair working environments”.