A major new campaign to protect the UK’s mighty oak trees from threats including pests and diseases has been officially launched at the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show by Lord Gardiner, Defra’s biosecurity minister.

The Action Oak Partnership - made up of charities, environmental organisations and landowners – is seeking to raise £15 million for research and monitoring to help safeguard the 121 million oaks in UK woodlands.

Work will include capturing the first detailed picture of the current health of oaks trees, helping to gain a greater understanding of how to preserve their iconic position in our landscape for generations to come.

The campaign aims to strengthen biosecurity and build resilience to protect oaks for future generations. It also builds on the £37 million the government is already investing in tree and plant health research.

Action Oak is supported by The Prince of Wales, the Patron of Woodland Heritage, the charity that will be administering funds raised by the campaign.

Lord Gardiner said: "The Action Oak Partnership provides a one-off opportunity to shape the future of our oak trees and make sure they continue to have a place in our landscape."

Beccy Speight, chief executive for the Woodland Trust which is one of the members of the partnership, said: "We need to take a serious look at the threats our trees and woods are facing. As we approach a post-Brexit world, we need to take opportunities to make the UK’s landscape more resilient, and combat invasive pests and diseases head-on. Our shared responsibilities span from ensuring the supply of new, UK-sourced saplings to better care for our ancient trees."