About us
The innovative new national street tree sponsorship scheme
By dissolving barriers and creating engagement, Trees for Streets is helping councils and residents work together to build a greener future. In cities and towns across the UK, the Trees for Streets is making it easier than ever for local people to bring new trees into their neighbourhoods.
Are you a resident or community group who’d like to get trees planted in your street or in your neighbourhood?
If you work for a local authority and would like to discuss whether a street tree sponsorship scheme could work in your borough, we’d love to talk.
Trees for Streets is a scheme run by the national charity, Trees for Cities. It was co-founded in 2020 by Trees for Cities and local innovator, Start with Local.
Trees for Cities is an innovative charity, with an admirable track record of empowering communities through tree planting and other green projects. Their work is often focussed on localities suffering from a lack of access to green space. They recently planted their millionth tree.
“This project mixes technology and local engagement, which can help amplify the aims of our charity by inspiring and empowering communities to take a leading role in greening their streets. There is the potential to leave a lasting legacy on every street up and down this country.”
KATE SHELDON, CEO, TREES FOR CITIES
Start with Local, is a social enterprise, whose aim it is to try to solve some of society’s problems from a local starting point.
Set up as a design and delivery organisation, Start with Local understands how to weave together differing disciplines, (from tech to marketing to community engagement, and this case, tree planting), to come up with innovative ways of solving problems.
“Trees for Streets empowers residents to work with their local councils to make a difference to the world immediately outside their front door. Planting a tree in your street can be a powerful first step in a journey to strengthen your community and how you connect with the world.”
SIMEON LINSTEAD, CEO, START WITH LOCAL & Co-FOUNDER
Trees for Streets is supported by the Mayor of London, and the Environment Team at the Greater London Authority (GLA).
This project was originally funded by Defra, through the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. We were also extremely grateful for seed funding from the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust.
We worked with several councils and experts to build and develop Trees for Streets, including: Jon Parker at Arboricultural Association, Croydon Council, Tower Hamlets Council, Hillingdon Council, and were very thankful for all their advice and input.
Our next step was to launch a pilot in May 2021 with 8 councils, offering individual sponsorship.
This has proven very successful and we’re now working with local authorities across the UK.
