On Friday 7th November, Sherwood Forest Trust hosted Michelle Welsh MP and The Sheriff of Nottingham to bring together community groups and organisations for the first Sherwood Forest Moot in 100 years! The Moot was the place where the people of Sherwood Forest came together to discuss the affairs of the forest, now, in the same spirit, we called a modern-day gathering! Everyone had the chance to share brilliant ideas, resulting in some great commitments to make Sherwood Forest Day a fantastic celebration on 20th February 2026.
Michelle Welsh MP for Sherwood Forest said:
“The first Sherwood Moot in a century has set something remarkable in motion. What began as a gathering of local voices has sparked a shared vision for Sherwood Forest’s future – one rooted in pride, creativity, and community spirit. Ideas flowed, partnerships formed, and a sense of purpose filled the room. We’ve rekindled the old Sherwood Forest tradition of coming together to shape our shared story – and the plans for Sherwood Forest Day 2026 are already growing from those first seeds. I look forward to continuing to work together to truly put Sherwood Forest back on the map.”
To make Sherwood Forest Day a success, we need local communities to get involved, and here are some of the ideas to do just that:
Care for your patch of Sherwood
To celebrate Sherwood Forest Day the Sherwood Forest Trust is encouraging local groups, schools, and parishes to adopt and care for their patch of Sherwood. Caring for your plot might include litter picking, habitat care or if you have the space, tree planting.
This will help enhance biodiversity of our local green spaces and woodlands, as well as creating cleaner and more welcoming community spaces. Native trees grown in the Sherwood community tree nursery, will be given away in bundles along with guides for planting, maintenance and habitat care.
Come along to our community tree nursery education day on 14th January 2026 to receive guidance on tree selection, planting and ongoing care and receive your free Sherwood native trees for planting out in 2026.
By combining environmental action with community celebration, this project aims to engage people of all ages in growing a healthier, more connected, and more biodiverse Sherwood Forest for future generations and everyone can feel connected, proud, and healthier as we restore Sherwood Forest together!
Your Place in the Forest – Sherwood Forest Day Plaques
There was a sample Green Plaque on display at the Moot, and we’re thrilled to say we’re now getting ready to place our first order for a batch of twenty. Our dream is to see every community that was once part of historic Sherwood Forest proudly displaying one of these plaques — a small but meaningful way to celebrate our shared heritage.
If your local community group, Parish Council, business, or organisation would like to order one, now’s the perfect time to get involved. Each plaque costs £85, and we’ll be placing the first order through the Sherwood Forest Trust before Christmas, so they arrive in good time to be unveiled for Sherwood Forest Day 2026.
The plaques can be displayed indoors or outdoors, but ideally it will be somewhere central and well loved. A village hall, library, post office, community garden, or even the local pub! Just make sure to get permission from the land or building owner first. Once your plaque arrives, why not mark the occasion with a special unveiling event on or around Sherwood Forest Day? We’ll be sharing updates as plaques are ordered and installed and will celebrate all the participating communities once they’re in place.
Get in touch with richard@sherwoodforesttrust.org.uk to order yours!
Fly the Nottinghamshire Flag
The Sheriff of Nottingham has a supply of community designed Nottinghamshire flags which we are giving away for Sherwood Forest Day. If there is a flagpole in your community, at the village hall, on the green, the local fire station, village pub, we can give you a flag! You could fly it for the day, or even a whole week. We will be producing a poster to explain what Sherwood Forest Day is and why we are celebrating, you can post this on your social media or website or display it somewhere for people to see. Flying the flag is one of the easiest ways to spread awareness and celebrate Sherwood Forest Day!
The Great Sherwood Forest Proclamation
We are also preparing a proclamation which we want to see “proclaimed” on Sherwood Forest Day at noon in as many places as possible across Nottinghamshire, with as much fanfare as possible! You could use the proclamation in conjunction with raising a flag, unveiling a plaque or planting a tree.
Get involved!
There is so much more we could do to celebrate Sherwood Forest Day, and we want as many local groups, organisations, schools, local businesses, to get involved! Some brilliant ideas from the Sherwood Forest Day Moot include a village talk, open days, wellbeing walks, local exhibitions, decorate our streets with crocheted oak leaves, storytelling, and much, much more!
Want to get involved? Get in touch here give us your pledge!
