Trees for Cities
From grey to green
Green spaces are good for us and the environment. Trees for Cities knows that childhoods enriched by plants and animals are essential for healthy and happy lives. School grounds that are abundant in vegetation also provide essential infrastructure to adapt cities to the changing climate.
We have supported Trees for Cities for 5 years and are delighted to award them £200,000 for London Healthy Playgrounds. Over 3 years, Trees for Cities will transform 10 tarmacked London playgrounds into safe green spaces where children can connect with nature every day.
- Over 200 schools in UK cities have benefited from Trees for Cities’ greening projects.
- Trees for Cities has planted over 1.5 million trees since 1993.
- Over 140,000 adults and children have worked on urban tree planting and greening projects with Trees for Cities.
Health and learning through nature
London Healthy Playgrounds will work with 10 inner-city schools to create school forest gardens, mini woodlands, wildlife habitats, food growing areas, outside classrooms and natural play areas. The playgrounds will include healthy air projects to improve air quality, as well as edible playgrounds to foster healthy eating and outdoor learning. As many as 4,000 pupils and 200 teachers will co-design and create spaces that work for them.
Trees for Cities will work with each school for a full year, ensuring that the impact of the new, healthy playgrounds is sustainable. They’ll guide schools through the integration of nature-based education with their school curriculum, develop bespoke curriculum-based resources and deliver on-the-ground training, including practical workshops. Trees for Cities’ approach has been successfully piloted at Grange Primary in Southwark. They aim for London Healthy Playgrounds to become a model for schools across London and the UK, benefiting future generations for years to come.
“Children living in cities have a right to healthy environments in which to learn and play. Connection to nature is vital for children’s health and happiness and through this programme with Kusuma Trust we will give thousands of children in London a green oasis in their school playgrounds, supporting their health, wellbeing, and educational experiences.”
More Success Stories
Trees for Cities – Edible Playground project
Bankside Open Spaces Trust
