Thousands of free trees being planted this winter

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council teamed up with Hinckley and Rugby Building Society, PEXA (digital remortgaging) and the National Forest Company to offer the trees throughout September. Now the lucky recipients have been collecting the trees and hedging ready for planting. 

Over 27,000 tree saplings and hedging were offered free to residents, schools, community groups, town, and parish councils, as well as charities and businesses, to help make the borough a greener and cleaner place to be. If all survive to maturity then they will absorb over 10,000 tonnes of carbon over the next 40 years.

Birch, Crab Apple, Bird Cherry, and Rowan plus five-metre hedging packs were all on offer. Those who applied collected their trees from collection points across the borough over the weekend.

Cllr Martin Cartwright, Executive Member for Climate Change, said:

This free tree and hedging scheme is a wonderful opportunity for communities to come together, learn new skills and get outdoors. The benefits of this scheme will last for years to come helping to provide a more pleasurable greener, cleaner environment whilst reducing the impact of climate change at the same time. This will also help us reach our carbon neutral target by 2030, as trees are brilliant carbon absorbers.

Cllr Bill Crooks, Executive Member for Street Scene Services, added:

We are extremely grateful to Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, PEXA and the National Forest for sponsoring this scheme, which will help to make the borough a greener and more beautiful place to be. All ages and abilities have got involved in planting and caring for a tree.

Colin Fyfe, CEO, Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, said:

This free tree scheme initiative is a long-term way of making a positive environmental impact in Hinckley and Bosworth and we are delighted to be involved. It strengthens our continued commitment to being an environmentally responsible business and to challenge the climate change crisis.

Louise Driver, Operations Director, National Forest Company, said:

We were delighted to join with Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council to offer free trees to their residents living within the National Forest. The National Forest is one of the few places in England where biodiversity is increasing, and we are eager to encourage everyone in the Forest to be part of this amazing story. Native trees are a wonderful way to encourage wildlife into your garden, providing shade and shelter for birds and butterflies as well as for you and your family to enjoy on a hot day.