Chestnut Park Primary School Pic: Trees for Cities

The local community in Croydon brought the chestnut trees back to Chestnut Park Primary School last week.

The initiative was launched after the school lost its namesake tree due to root damage.

School staff and members of the Baitussubhan Mosque, alongside national charity Trees for Cities, planted a total of twelve new trees throughout the borough.

The aim of the project is to not only bring back a cherished tree to the school’s grounds, but to also give local families more protection against noise and air pollution.

Chestnut Park Primary does not have any green areas for the pupils to play in, so having the chance to connect and learn about nature doesn’t come often for these students.

They are being taught in school about tree habitats and their importance to urban landscapes, so getting the opportunity to have a part in planting these trees meant a lot to the students.

This project is a part of an initiative developed by Trees for Cities, in partnership with New World Payphones, which is sweeping the UK.

Karen Rankin, Head of Portfolios and Partnerships at Clear Channel UK – who lead New World Payphones – said the group were “thrilled to be continuing our work of helping to green Croydon with these new trees”.

“We believe it is essential to play an active role in helping improve the environment of the areas we operate in,” Rankin said.

“We’re delighted to join our charity partners Trees for Cities for a second year to leave a lasting legacy for the people of the borough.”

The planting session will last until the start of April 2018. The project plans to plant over 150 trees across all of London.