Honouring our roots with Trees For Streets

Increasing the number of trees in towns and cities offers a wealth of benefits to residents, local wildlife and the wider environment. So, when the opportunity arose to contribute to the Trees For Streets initiative, we jumped at the chance to make the streets of Worthing a little bit greener…

What is the ‘Trees For Streets’ initiative?

Trees For Streets is a national tree sponsorship scheme, where individuals and businesses can sponsor the addition of new trees to their local communities. The team at Trees For Streets work with your local council to get new trees planted in your area.

Why do we need more trees in towns and cities?

A 2019 report by European Environment Agency(1) found that enhancing green spaces in urban areas offers a “triple win”:

It improves residents’ well-being
It boosts biodiversity and improves habitats for wildlife
It encourages residents to spend more time outside

Increasing the number of trees in urban areas has important environmental benefits too: in hot weather, trees provide additional shade from the sun, and also produce a cooling effect as water evaporates from their leaves. What’s more, trees have particular benefits in seaside towns: as tourists head to the beach in the summer, air pollution increases – but trees catch particles of pollution on their leaves, essentially filtering and cleaning the air.

Honouring our heritage

Our donation of £20,000 sponsored 35 new trees, which were planted on Sompting Road and Sompting Avenue at the end of April 2024. Every tree planted in the scheme is 5-7 years old and an ‘instant impact’ tree – when it is planted, sponsors and residents can see the results immediately.

As well as breathing new life into the streets of Worthing, our trees have unique personal significance. The site for the new trees was specifically chosen by Roffey Homes Managing Director Ben Cheal for its crucial role in his family’s heritage. Ben’s parents had their first home together on Sompting Avenue, and it was also where Ben’s grandfather Reginald developed his first couple of houses, turning what was a cul-de-sac into the thriving avenue it is today, and therefore laying the foundations for Roffey Homes.

Ben says: “My father has a long history of secretly planting acorns in and around Ferring, and so when we saw a press release on the partnership between Worthing Borough Council and Trees for Streets, a national tree sponsorship scheme and charity, we decided to donate. When they included Sompting Avenue in the list of possible streets to plant the trees, we jumped on it due to the close history we have with this Avenue as well as the visual impact it will have as people enter our town. We look forward to seeing Sompting Avenue turn into a tree-lined avenue!”

The newly planted trees not only offer a wealth of environmental and community benefits, they will stand as enduring symbols – paying tribute to our heritage while simultaneously boosting the natural beauty and greenery of Worthing, for current and future residents to cherish and enjoy.

NEWS