Trees for Cities facts for kids
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The organisation's headquarters at Prince Consort Lodge in Kennington, London SE11
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| Formation | 1993 |
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| Legal status | Non-profit company and registered charity |
| Purpose | Create greener cities |
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Region served
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UK, world |
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Chief Executive
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David J. Elliott |
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Main organ
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Board of Trustees |
| Website | www.treesforcities.org |
Trees for Cities is a charity in the UK that works to make cities greener by planting trees. Since 1993, this amazing group has planted over 1,800,000 trees! They've planted them in parks, on streets, in woodlands, at schools, hospitals, and even housing areas. Volunteers help them plant all these trees.
The charity also has a cool program called Edible Playgrounds. This program helps school children learn how to grow and eat healthy food.
Contents
How Trees for Cities Started
Trees for Cities was started in 1993 by four friends: Jake Kempston, Belinda Winder, Jane Bruton, and Julian Blake. For the first five years, they raised money by holding fun parties.
The charity was first called Trees for London. Their goal was to teach people about how important trees are. They wanted to plant and protect trees everywhere, especially in busy city areas. In 2003, the charity changed its name to Trees for Cities. This was because they started working in many more cities across the UK and even around the world.
In 2009, Sharon Johnson became the Chief Executive, which is like the main leader. David J. Elliott took over from her in 2016. Then, in 2023, Kate Sheldon became the new Chief Executive.
The charity has had some interesting office locations. It first started on a ship called HMS Belfast. Now, their main office is at Prince Consort Lodge. This is a special old building in Kennington Park, London. They also have other offices nearby.
What Trees for Cities Does
Trees for Cities does more than just plant trees. They also work with schools and community groups. They even run campaigns to help protect trees and green spaces.
Creating Urban Forests
Trees for Cities focuses on planting trees in community spaces. They choose places where trees can help people and the environment the most. They work with volunteers to plant up to 100,000 trees each year around the world. This helps make cities stronger against environmental problems.
Planting different kinds of trees in cities has many benefits. Trees can make people feel better, both physically and mentally. They help clean the air by absorbing pollution. Trees also soak up carbon, which helps fight climate change. They can even make noisy areas quieter and help prevent flooding.
In 2019, the charity planted its one millionth urban tree!
In 2018, Trees for Cities helped stop trees from being cut down in Sheffield.
Edible Playgrounds Program
The Edible Playgrounds program turns schoolyards into fun outdoor spaces. These spaces teach kids about growing and eating healthy food. By learning healthy habits early, Edible Playgrounds can help with problems like childhood obesity. They also help kids connect with nature.
This program also provides fun lessons that fit with school subjects. Research shows that 72% of schools in the program said kids chose fruit more often. Also, 94% of schools said students had better attitudes about healthy living. Trees for Cities has built special edible gardens in 100 schools across 12 cities over the past 10 years.
Planting Healthy Air in Schools
The Planting Healthy Air in Schools program helps with London's air pollution. Bad air quality can harm people, especially children. London's trees remove over 2,241 tons of pollution every year. This makes them great at blocking dirty air.
The charity is working with St Paul's CE Primary School. This school was once named the second most polluted school in London. Trees for Cities is helping to plant more trees and green spaces there. This makes the school grounds healthier and encourages kids to use the outdoor areas.
International Projects
Trees for Cities also works with local groups around the world. They focus on planting trees to clean up polluted cities. They also help local people learn skills to create lasting ways to make a living. Since 2006, they have planted over 200,000 trees. These projects have been in 16 cities across 13 countries. This includes places like Ica in Peru, Nairobi in Kenya, and Pokhara in Nepal.
Fundraising and Supporters
Trees for Cities has many famous supporters. These include chef Jamie Oliver, journalist Jon Snow, and architect Richard Rogers.
The charity used to hold an annual fun run called the Tree-athlon. This 5k run took place in Leeds, Manchester, and London. On September 18, 2010, in Battersea Park, they even set a world record! 278 people ran a 100-meter grass race barefoot, making it the largest barefoot race ever.
Trees for Cities also sends out a monthly newsletter to its supporters. It's called Tree Times.
Where Trees for Cities Works
Trees for Cities has many projects all over Greater London. They have also completed projects in over forty towns and cities across the UK. Their work around the world has reached places like Ica in Peru, La Paz in Bolivia, Nairobi in Kenya, and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
See also
- The Big Tree Plant
- Plant A Tree In '73
- Great Trees of London, a list made by Trees for Cities after a big storm in 1987.
