Croydon launches street tree sponsorship scheme

Croydon Council is leading the way as the latest UK council to join the new National Street Tree Sponsorship Scheme, Trees for Streets 

This scheme lets residents and businesses sponsor additional trees in Croydon’s streets and parks, over and above the council’s own planting programme.

 

Croydon has already planted 2,500 trees since 2018, and planning a further 1,000 by winter 2022/23.

 

Those wanting to sponsor a street tree in their neighbourhood or a park can simply use the online platform to make a request to the council by providing a few simple details. The council then assesses the chosen location, and if it is suitable, arrangements will be made to plant a tree the following winter, which is the best time to plant young trees to ensure they thrive.

 

Individuals and groups are welcome to participate, and there are two options allowing for either the sponsor or council to be responsible for watering the tree, with the former being a lower-cost option.

 

Trees for Streets is a project by Trees for Cities, the national urban tree charity, and is funded by central government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. Its goal is to support the planting of more than a quarter of a million additional street trees nationwide over the next ten years, by supplementing council tree planting budgets.

 

Anyone who wishes to sponsor a tree can do so here.

 

Street trees contribute to the council’s efforts to address the climate crisis by capturing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen; absorbing air pollution and filtering the air, while also offering flood protection and improving the mental and physical wellbeing of residents. 

The Trees for Streets scheme is an exciting opportunity for both residents and local businesses to sponsor new trees in our streets and local parks. And, as part of this year’s scheme we are also being awarded additional monies for planting in high priority locations, by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

 
Councillor Muhammad Ali, cabinet member for sustainable Croydon
 
Simeon Linstead, Project Director of Trees for Streets said: “Trees for Streets enables residents to work with their local councils to make a difference to the world immediately on their doorstep, through a combination of technology and local engagement.
We want to inspire and empower the local community to take a leading role in greening the streets of this borough.” 

Beyond donating money to sponsor a tree, there are lots of other ways for people to get involved.

 

Once each street tree is planted, it will require weekly watering throughout the summer for three years to give it the best chance of survival, and any litter or weeds will need to be removed. 

 

More information can be found at www.treesforstreets.org

2021-07-29T17:56:00+01:00 July 29th, 2021|Recent news|