Trees bring real benefits to our cities, health…

Trees bring real benefits to our cities, health and wellbeing.

The effects of climate change are already being felt. We’re experiencing warmer, wetter winters, and hotter, drier summers, creating higher temperatures in our cities. Climate change has caused an increase in pests and disease, which had never previously affected the UK. The impact has been an unprecedented threat to some iconic tree species, including ash, horse chestnut and oak.

Over 84% of the population living in towns or cities, many people now breathe dirty air, are at risk of flooding and are struggling with rising temperatures worsened by the urban heat island effect. Without urban trees, our physical and mental health are all affected, and our connection with nature becomes lost. This trend needs to reverse now!

By planting thousands of urban trees each year in the UK and around the world, Trees for Cities is building resilience within urban communities against threats facing the natural environment. We plant a range of tree species that enhance structural and functional diversity in woodlands and city streets, creating greener, happier and healthier places to live.

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2241 tonnes

Each year London’s trees remove 2,241 tonnes of air pollution, including carbon dioxide, dust and other gaseous toxins.

aerial view of Hartlepool, featuring rows of houses and the coastline

Tree Equity for Hartlepool

Trees for Cities has partnered with National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Linbury Trust, Hartlepool Borough Council, Thirteen Group, The Woodland Trust, Tees Community Forest and Treeconomics to deliver a two-year programme of tree planting and engagement activities to help grow Hartlepool's urban forest.

Tree Establishment: Helping Urban Trees Thrive

Since our inception in 1993, we have planted 2 million trees in 100 urban areas across the UK and overseas. We are proud to showcase our efforts to establish, maintain, and care for our urban trees.

Learn how we do this

Trees for Climate Action

We brought people together across generations in Bradford and the Glasgow region through tree planting, training, and volunteering to learn vital skills to tackle the climate crisis. Over 30,000 people were engaged with through the project.

Learn more

Group of people standing under tree during tree tour.

Collective Climate Repair

We’re working with groups from underrepresented communities, co-hosting workshops where participants learn about the water cycle, tree care, and how biodiversity can cool our towns and cities.

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Check out some of our projects

A woman and three kids gardening, planting flowers in tires

Growing a Community in East London
Tower Hamlets

Through greening projects and workshops, we've helped transform this unused space in an East London estate into a thriving oasis for local residents.

Greening Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Trees for Cities has a long-standing relationship with Tower Hamlets and is a key target area of ours, with one of the lowest tree canopy cover densities across all of London.

One Hull of a Forest
Alderman Cogan School, Hull

Find out how we planted 3,750 trees in Hull for the PATT foundation's campaign 'One Hull of a Forest'.

Airedale Food Forest
Airedale General Hospital, Keighley

We planted 2,650 trees for the 50th anniversary of the opening of Airedale Hospital in Keighley.

Urban woodland
Forest Road recreation Ground, London

We’ve created a vast new woodland in northeast London where the Great Forest of Essex once grew.

Racecourse estate
Northolt, Ealing, London

A new urban woodland in a historical racecourse-turned-housing estate.

Wildlife hedgerow
Montagu recreation ground, London

A beautiful new hedgerow at Montagu Recreation Ground is making the air cleaner for the local community to enjoy the park.

Community orchard
New Beckton Park, London

The new community orchard at New Beckton Park provides a local resource for wildlife, education and most importantly – an annual harvest of fruits and nuts!

Legacy tree planting
Seven Kings Park, London

50 bright and beautiful new big trees have brought new habitats for wildlife in Seven Kings Park and restored the traditional tree lined avenues to their former glory.

Horticultural Therapy Garden
Maudsley Hospital, South London

Find out how we transformed the outdoor spaces at the Maudsley Hospital into a beautiful new public garden, designed to improve community wellbeing.