I grew up in Ramsbottom, surrounded by the wooded hillsides of the Irwell valley, so it's no surprise I ended up working with trees.

I spent three years working alongside other tree surgeons across the North West, learning the trade on every kind of job, from routine hedge cuts to dismantling large trees in tight back gardens.

Those years taught me how good tree work should be done: planned properly, carried out safely, and finished with a garden left tidier than we found it.

I also learned how much customers value someone who turns up when they say they will and tells them honestly what a tree needs.

So I invested in my own equipment and started Canopy Tree Care in Ramsbottom, the town I grew up in.

Many of our customers are neighbours, friends of friends and people who've seen our work down the road, and I'm proud to look after the trees in the area I call home.

Today we work across Greater Manchester and Lancashire, but the approach is the same wherever we go.