As part of our Sustainability programme, we’re mobilising local businesses to fund the planting and care of substantial young trees in the parts of town that need them most.
Trees in towns and cities create a haven for wildlife, improve air quality and lock away carbon. They help to cool the air in summer and absorb heavy rains. They also create a better ambience, helping to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of people who live and work nearby.
The most deprived parts of towns and cities tend to have lower levels of canopy cover. That is definitely the case here in Reading, with significantly lower percentages of land covered by trees in Battle, Whitley and Katesgrove than in more affluent parts
of town.
By adding trees in those areas, especially around schools and busy junctions, we hope to improve quality of life for residents. We’re also adding trees in the town centre, where they will help to ease the urban heat island effect, enhance air quality and biodiversity and improve the way it looks and feels.
We’ve teamed up with Reading Borough Council (RBC) and Reading Tree Wardens to offer local organisations the opportunity to make a tangible positive difference to our town by funding the planting and care of trees.
To maximise the impact of our initiative, we’re focusing on planting substantial young trees (3-3.5 metres tall and 12-14cm around the trunk) in carefully chosen locations.
Our aim is to plant 10% of the trees within the Inner Distribution Road (IDR) and 50% in other areas that would benefit most from additional trees, including deprived neighbourhoods and around schools and health centres. The remaining 40% will be planted across the wider Reading area.
The council has now committed to providing three years of watering, rather than two, to help the trees get established. Reading Tree Wardens keep and eye on the trees and flag up any that need attention, and any that fail are replaced.
In normal times your organisation’s staff probably commute to work and some may also travel for business. Meanwhile the air quality in parts of Reading is deteriorating, having a negative impact on health, and we’re in the midst of a global climate crisis.
Trees for Reading will enable your business to be part of the solution by investing in making our town greener, healthier and happier, creating a lasting legacy for the future.
As well as helping to offset your organisation’s negative impact by improving the local and wider environment, your involvement will provide a meaningful boost to its public image.
We’ll mark the trees planted with your support on our interactive map below and add your logo to spread the word about the positive difference you have made to our town. We’ll also provide you with a supporter badge, which you can use to promote your involvement, and will be glad to collaborate on publicity to celebrate your support.
Trees planted in 2024-25: 16 (+ 3 replanted)
Trees planted in 2024-25: 3 (+ 1 replanted)
Trees planted in 2023-24: 10 (+ 3 replanted)
Trees planted in 2022-23: 41 (- 3 failed + 13 replanted)
Trees planted in 2021-22: 52 (- 14 failed)
Trees planted in 2020-21: 20 (- 6 failed)
Trees planted in 2019-20: 8
Total: 127
