Local eco-heroes spent this afternoon (Wednesday, 2 March) planting trees as part of an ambitious £20,000 re-greening and rejuvenation project along the River Roding in Barking, funded by council partner Clear Channel.
Volunteers from the River Roding Trust were joined by the Deputy Leader of the council, Councillor Saima Ashraf, and representatives from Out of Home media and infrastructure company, Clear Channel, to help give the saplings new homes.
In total, 60 semi-mature trees have been planted at 10 sites along the river. Many of these trees are fruit trees that will provide delicious free fruit to local people in the coming years, whilst other trees (particularly the rare native black poplar tree) will grow to become a key feature of the Barking skyline over the coming decades. The Trust have also installed dozens of benches and seats along the river, to give local people somewhere to sit and enjoy the scenery.
It is fantastic that we are able to support projects such as this thanks to our policies that demand our partner organisations to do more for our residents
The project was funded by Clear Channel as part of their Social Value commitment to the borough. The funding was allocated to the River Roding Trust via a competitive application process in partnership with Barking & Dagenham Giving.
The council’s Social Value policy requires that any organisation working with the council to provide goods or services, over a threshold of £100,000 must set out in their tender process how they can deliver wider economic, social or environmental benefits for the residents of Barking and Dagenham.
Cllr Saima Ashraf, Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, said: “It is fantastic that we are able to support projects such as this thanks to our policies that demand our partner organisations to do more for our residents.
“The benefits of getting out and about in our parks and enjoying our green spaces are well documented, and that is why we are driving forward with protecting and improving these areas by planting thousands of new trees across the borough and helping re-green more areas.”
Across Barking and Dagenham there are 28 parks and green spaces, which provide 463 hectares of land open to the public.
Karen Rankin, Clear Channel’s Head of Portfolio Partnerships said: “It’s amazing to see all of the work of The River Roding Trust and how our fund has had a direct and tangible positive impact for the local community.”
“We’re exceptionally proud to be a part of the fabric of Barking and Dagenham.”
Paul Powlesland, from the River Roding Trust: "We believe that Barking deserves beauty and that the River Roding should be the jewel in the crown of the town. That's why our boaters who moor on the river and our local volunteers have spent many months working hard to plant trees and install benches along the river. We're very grateful to Barking and Dagenham Council for recognising the importance of social value and to Clear Channel for providing the funding to pay for the trees and materials. We hope local residents enjoy the improvements and spending time along the River Roding as we head into spring”