55,000 free trees are up for grabs today for residents of London to plant in their gardens and shared green spaces, as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s National Tree Week celebrations, which runs from 23rd November – 1st December.
Starting today, London residents and community groups can apply for their trees. In addition to the free trees, the Mayor has already awarded funding to 33 community groups to plant 40,000 trees through the Major’s Greener City Fund.
The Mayor is working with the Woodland Trust, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and The Conservation Volunteers, who have both offered trees towards the Mayor’s final total of 95,000 trees.
The giveaways are part of the Mayor’s work to increase London’s tree canopy by 10% by 2050 and maintain London’s status as the world’s first National Park City, as well as helping to tackle the climate emergency.
The range of benefits that trees provide daily to Londoners are immense, and I want to encourage as many people as possible to apply for our free tree packs, either for your gardens or for organising community tree planting events.
London has some of the best green spaces, including parks and woodlands, or any international city and our commitment to preserving and increasing our tree canopy is one of the main reasons we are the world’s first National Park City.
I look forward to thousands of new trees being planted during National Tree Week.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London
Residents of London can either apply for:
- 25,000 free trees from The Conservation Volunteers for community groups and schools who wish to organise community planting events. Packs of 10, 20, or 50 trees are available, with a choice of species. Trees can be ordered now and online advice on tree planting, plus opportunities from residents of London to volunteer at the community planting events will be available from mid-October.
- 30,000 free trees from the Woodland Trust to plant in their private gardens or residential shared communal gardens. The trees are divided into packs of two, with each pack containing a wild cherry and a rowan tree, and a planting guide. Residents are invited to apply to a ballot by 11th November at www.london.gov.uk/plant-a-tree
- Additionally, the Mayor is funding 40,000 trees for 33 community tree planting projects through the Greener City Fund. Several of these projects will be hosting planting events during National Tree Week, including major events hosted by Trees for Cities in Newham and Redbridge, and The Conservation Volunteers in Camden.
