Kelly has lived in Limehouse for over 20 years, and has really seen the area change over that time.
A regenerated former dockland area, it’s a great community, and people really feel connected to their neighbourhood and take pride in it.
Award-winning parks
One of the nice things about the area is its access to green spaces – being able to spend time close to nature has been a real godsend for so many Londoners during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tower Hamlets has several parks that have been awarded Green Flag status, and one way to keep these public spaces green and pleasant for future generations is to fund the planting of more trees in parks now – that’s what Celebration Trees are all about.
Cleaner air for Tower hamlets
Tower Hamlets Council launched their tree sponsorship scheme on the Trees for Streets platform on Clean Air Day, in June 2021.
Since then, the scheme has proven to be very popular, with requests coming in from residents all over the borough to sponsor trees in their streets and parks.
A rare opportunity
Councils aren’t always able to let sponsors know exactly when a tree is being planted, because this work is usually outsourced to contractors who are tasked with planting lots of trees across the whole winter season. However, on this occasion everything aligned so that Kelly was able to see the Celebration Tree she’d sponsored being planted in Ropemakers Field.
What Does this tree mean to you?
I read about the opportunity to sponsor a Celebration Tree in the Tower Hamlets council newsletter, and thought it was a lovely thing – so decided to sponsor a tree in memory of my niece Sophie.
I had such a great experience with this whole process – everyone was lovely. That I not only got to choose where the tree would be, but was also able to come and see it being planted was really special. It makes me feel very connected with the place in which I live.
I’m really lucky to have lots of parks nearby. I regularly walk through Ropemakers Field as one of my early morning walking routes, and really enjoy watching the doggie playdates that happen. Now I can visit my tree there too!
About the tree
Tower Hamlets Tree Officer Adam says:
We have chosen a Manchurian cherry tree (Prunus maackii ‘Amber Beauty’) for this spot, which has really interesting bark and bright white flowers throughout spring. This is a very hardy low maintenance tree with small, dark green leaves that will turn yellow in autumn.
Join our mission
We think that tree-lined streets should be the norm, not a nice-to-have.
Join our mission and help green your street by sponsoring a tree – either outside your house, or in a local park. It’s really easy, and the positive effects will last for decades!
