Sponsoring a tree for their street
Over the past year over 50 new trees have been planted in Coventry through the national charity initiative, Trees for Streets. The project has brought together residents, local businesses and Coventry City Council, to make our streets greener, healthier and happier places to live. By sponsoring trees, Coventry locals have been able to help get them in the ground.
Green my street
Residents and local businesses have used the interactive map on the Trees for Streets website to pick locations where they’d like to see a new street tree planted. Many residents have asked to fill gaps outside their houses or elsewhere on their streets; some opt to sponsor a tree in their favourite park.
It’s a very simple process – once the request is received, Coventry City Council conducts a survey to make sure there are no obstructions such as cables, pipes or utility covers. If all is ok, the sponsor’s donation is accepted and that coming winter the council’s contractor is instructed to plant a new street tree at the approved location.
Watering help
The single most expensive cost involved in planting and establishing a new tree is often the watering. It’s fantastic that so many residents have also taken on the job of watering their sponsored trees. This is a huge help and also a very rewarding activity, as it can offer opportunities for neighbours to get to know each other and feel more connected to their communities.
Local heroes
The Trees for Streets team met some of the wonderful local sponsors to catch up with them now that their tree is planted.
Satty has lived in Coventry his whole life and wanted to give back to the community. His end of the street had plenty of grass verges but no trees, so he sponsored two that he can enjoy when he is working from home. There are miles of grass verges in Coventry, and they are perfect for planting new trees. Like Satty, Trevor has a grass verge outside his house, so he too sponsored a tree, and enjoys making sure it gets plenty of water during the warmer months.
Hannah’s street had no trees, so she and her neighbour clubbed together to sponsor a tree just outside their houses. Unbeknown to them, another neighbour down the road had also sponsored a tree. They were all pleasantly surprised when two trees arrived over winter!
Simon is lucky enough to live on a street full of mature trees, but there was a large gap outside his house. He sponsored a tree to fill the gap, and was impressed with how big it was when planted! Trees planted through the initiative are already 5-7 years old and 3-4 metres tall.
Get a tree planted this winter
If you’d like to get involved in greening a local street in Coventry, maybe outside your house, your children’s school or along a local highstreet, visit treesforstreets.org/coventry today.
Sponsorship requests must be made by the end of November in order for trees to be planted this winter.
