Residents and businesses green-up Bedford streets

The charity initiative Trees for Streets, working in partnership with Bedford Borough Council, enables locals to sponsor the planting of new trees. Since the scheme arrived in Bedford in 2021, over 300 trees have been planted.

Improving neighbourhoods

The scheme empowers residents and community groups to make a tangible, positive difference to their local environment. Trees add a splash of colour to our neighbourhoods and attract wildlife. They are good for our mental health and wellbeing, encourage outdoor activities and offer a myriad of environmental benefits.

Bringing nature to their doorstep

Helena Pointer and her husband moved into their home in October last year, and she immediately sponsored a tree outside their house. A beautiful cherry tree was planted just a few months later. “I feel extremely happy to be able to make a difference to our street and provide a tree for everyone to enjoy”, she explains.

Tree hero Diana Bedford has sponsored a tree each year since the scheme started. “I felt my road was rather lacking in trees and I wanted to do my bit in improving it”, she says. She had a silver birch and a trident maple planted, and her third tree is due to be planted this winter.

Neighbours clubbing together

Across the borough, neighbours have clubbed together to get trees planted in their communities. Will White used the Trees for Streets crowdfunding platform to collect donations to get four new trees planted in his neighbourhood. He delivered letters to his neighbours asking for their support, and the community came together to make his vision a reality. Will plans to fundraise for more trees next year.

Transforming school streets

Horizon Specialist Contracting, a national business with operations in Bedford Borough, sponsored a row of nine new trees outside Kempston Rural Primary School, on Ridge Road. An excited group of pupils from the school’s Eco Committee attended the planting day, where they learned about the process of planting a street tree and had the chance to help out.

Adjacent to Kempston Rural Primary School, a second school street planting project took root. An avenue of 16 trees was planted on Hill Rise, leading up to Kempston Academy.

In total, 25 street trees were planted outside the two schools this year. As the trees mature, they will mitigate noise and absorb traffic pollution, whilst pupils will enjoy a greener walk to school and more shade in hot weather.

Get a tree planted this winter

Anyone can request to sponsor a tree in Bedford Borough – at a location of their choosing – through the Trees for Streets website. Bedford Borough Council takes care of the planting.

Simply complete the sponsorship request form, select your preferred location, and submit a sponsorship donation. The council will then survey the location to ensure suitability for planting. Once approved, a 3+ metre ‘instant impact’ tree will be planted (during winter).

Sponsorship requests must be made by the end of November for trees to be planted this winter. Visit treesforstreets.org/Bedford to request your tree.