Trees for Cities is a UK charity which aims to plant urban trees and create greener cities. Since 1993, the organisation has reported that 125,000 volunteers have planted over 1,200,000 urban trees in parks, streets, woodlands, schools, hospitals and housing estates. The charity also runs the Edible Playgrounds programme, which aims to inspire school children to grow and eat healthy food.
History
Trees for Cities was founded in 1993 by a group of four friends: Jake Kempston, Belinda Winder, Jane Bruton and Julian Blake. For the first five or so years, the charity raised funds through its well-known parties. The charity was initially called Trees for London
[Trees for Cities: History and mission]
with the charitable objectives to "advance the education of the public in the appreciation of trees and their amenity value, and in furtherance of this the planting and protection of trees everywhere, and in particular inner city areas".
In 2003, the charity changed its name to Trees for Cities to reflect a growth in activities in cities across the UK and across the globe.
In 2009, Sharon Johnson replaced Graham Simmonds as Chief Executive. She was succeeded as Chief Executive by David J. Elliott in 2016.
The charity has a history of unusual office locations. Originally based on
HMS ''Belfast'', the charity now operates from
Prince Consort Lodge, a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
located in
Kennington Park,
Kennington, in the
London Borough of Lambeth, England. It also has offices in Whitacre Mews, Kennington, London.
Function
In addition to tree planting, the charity is involved in activities with schools and community groups and undertakes campaigning.
Urban Forests
Trees for Cities' work focuses on planting trees and greening community spaces where the social and environmental impact on local people is greatest. By engaging volunteers and planting up to 100,000 urban trees worldwide each year, the organisation is building resilience against threats facing the natural environment. Planting a range of tree species in urban areas have multiple impacts and benefits to people and the environment such as improving physical and mental wellbeing, absorbing air pollutants,
sequestering carbon
Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in land ...
, masking noise, preventing flooding etc.
The charity planted its millionth urban tree in 2019.
In 2018, it played an active role in the campaign to stop the felling of
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
's street trees.
Edible Playgrounds
Edible Playgrounds transform areas in school grounds into vibrant outdoor spaces that excite and teach children about growing and eating healthy food. By instilling healthy eating habits at an early age, Edible Playgrounds can help to tackle obesity, food poverty and lack of access to nature head on, as well as providing a platform for fun and engaging lessons that support the school curriculum. Independent research among participating schools shows that 72% of schools said that children were more likely to choose fruits over less healthy snacks while 94% of schools said that pupils had improved attitudes towards healthy living. Trees for Cities has worked with 100 schools in 12 towns and cities to build bespoke edible gardens over the past 10 years.
Planting Healthy Air in Schools
Planting Healthy Air in Schools has been developed to address London's poor air quality and the detrimental health effects this has on people, especially children. London's trees remove 2,241 tons of pollution per year, making them a particularly effective barrier to the flow of toxic air. The charity is currently working in partnership with St Paul's CE Primary, named the second most polluted school in London, to enrich the grounds through tree planting and greening in order to enhance the natural environment and promote the use of the outdoor space for pupils.
International
The charity works with local organisations and community groups around the world to focus their tree planting projects on delivering long-term, practical solutions to green polluted city environments and provide local people with the skills and ability to secure sustainable livelihoods. Since 2006 they have planted over 200,000 trees in 16 cities in 13 countries – from Ica in Peru to Nairobi in Kenya and
Pokhara in Nepal.
Fundraising
Trees for Cities has a number of high-profile patrons, including
Jamie Oliver
James Trevor Oliver MBE OSI (born 27 May 1975) is an English chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. He is known for his casual approach to cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and open many restaurants.
Oliver reac ...
,
Jon Snow and
Richard Rogers. The charity was responsible for the Tree-athlon, a 5k annual fun run, held in
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. In
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200-acre (83-hectare) green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea and was opened in 1858.
The park occupies marshland recla ...
on 18 September 2010, it set the world record for the largest ever barefoot race, with 278 participants completing a 100m grass circuit. The charity sends out a monthly newsletter to its followers, titled ''Tree Times''.
Projects
Trees for Cities has projects throughout Greater London, and has delivered projects in over 30 towns and cities across the UK. The charity's global reach has extended to
Ica in Peru, La Paz in Bolivia, Nairobi in Kenya and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
See also
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The Big Tree Plant
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Plant A Tree In '73
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Great Trees of London
Great Trees of London is a list created by Trees for Cities after the Great Storm of 1987, when the general public were asked to suggest suitable trees. Forty-one were chosen, with a further 20 added in 2008. In 2010, Time Out Guides Limited ...
, a list created by Trees for Cities after the
Great Storm of 1987
References
Further reading
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External links
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* {{EW charity, 1032154, Trees for Cities
1993 establishments in the United Kingdom
Conservation in the United Kingdom
Environmental charities based in the United Kingdom
Environmental organisations based in London
Environmental organizations established in 1993
Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom
Trees of the United Kingdom