Two weeks ago community members and Councillors unveiled a sign dedicating the roundabout where Chatham Street meets the IDR in honour of the Windrush generation, following requests from residents. Dozens of people from the Windrush generation gathered on the roundabout to mark the occasion with The Mayor of Reading, himself a descendant of the Windrush generation. This was to celebrate the rich and significant cultural heritage of the Caribbean community in Reading and followed the planting of five palm trees on the roundabout earlier this year.
That community planting session helped take the total number of new trees planted in Reading borough over the winter to 313, along with an additional 43 to replace dead or felled trees.
Like me, I’m sure most of you enjoy the parks and greenery around Reading and would like to be able to see even more of it. Well now there’s something you can do to make Reading greener, by sponsoring a new tree to be planted at a location of your choice.
We’ve teamed up again with Trees for Streets to enable residents and businesses to sponsor the planting of trees in their neighbourhoods. This is your chance to contribute to a greener and more sustainable environment and enjoy the excitement and benefits of having a new tree planted to brighten up your road.
Sponsoring a tree can cost £295 as a one-off payment, but you can also get involved with community crowdfunding options. The scheme improves the look of the town as well as helping to combat climate change, improve air quality, and enhance the well-being of residents.
Residents have a choice of sponsoring a new street tree at a location of their own choosing or sponsoring a ‘Celebration Tree’ to be planted in one of Reading’s parks. To sponsor a tree in your area, visit www.treesforstreets.org/reading.
Over 100 new trees have already been sponsored by residents and businesses in Reading thanks to our partnership with Trees for Streets. The initiative, which launched in August 2023, has breathed additional life into streets with residents able to pay for a new tree to be planted near their home.
We remain well on schedule for our target of 3,000 new trees on Council land by 2030, set four years ago as part of our ongoing commitment to Reading’s tree strategy which aims to increase canopy cover and make Reading greener. Please do join in too if you can and do your bit to make our streets even greener – visit www.treesforstreets.org/reading to find out how.
By Cllr Liz Terry, leader of Reading Borough Council
