Tower Hamlets Trees for Streets

Trees for Streets is the new charity National Street Trees Sponsorship Scheme.
Trees for Streets aims to make it easy for residents to donate to the planting and watering of trees in their streets and neighbourhoods. We host sponsorship schemes on our platform on behalf of local councils.

20 GoodGymers have supported Tower Hamlets Trees for Streets with 4 tasks.


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Previous sessions
Tower HamletsGroup run
Laura WilliamsJohn ShirleyRosie

Dream Tree-m

Monday 14th November 2022

Written by Laura Williams

Rosie and John arrived promptly at the gorgeous Bonner Gate entrance to Victoria Park. A light-filled avenue, this stretch through the park always looks picturesque, whatever the weather.

The duo made their way through some infuriating-but-useful balance exercises; every standing lower body exercise under the sun, and undoubtedly hit every inch of the glutes.

We then made our way the short distance down to Globe Town, to meet Simeon, from Trees for Streets.

Simeon was brilliantly-organised as usual, with maps, leaflets and a perfectly-planned strategy.

We divided into two teams, and headed out all over the Roman Road and Bow areas, helping to spread the words about this accessible, useful tree sponsorship scheme.

This project enables local councils to plant more trees within their budget, encouraging residents and local businesses to support council street tree-planting programmes by donating some, or all, of the cost of new trees.

Residents who would like more trees in their streets, beneficial to both our physical and mental wellbeing, can contribute to this project.

Boosting step count and spirits, we walked along relevant roads, slowly getting through all the leaflets.

Having run over time by a whopping 20 minutes, we met back on Roman Road for one final picture.

A great little evening's work done. Well done everyone.

Until next time.

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Tower HamletsGroup run
Laura WilliamsAnna MyatSam LefevreNina JhatakiaGeorge RennisonAbie

A tree-mendous effort

Monday 10th October 2022

Written by Laura Williams

6 GoodGymers gathered at the Town Hall Hotel this evening for our leafleting task.

Meeting Trees for Streets Project Director Simeon, we were well and truly briefed on tonight's task: posting letters in residential areas for the charity's tree-sponsorship scheme.

Why were we doing this?

Trees for Streets is a not-for-profit enterprise, set up by the charity Trees for Cities. Writes Trees for Streets, "According to Natural England, for every £1 spent on trees, the UK saves £7 in healthcare, energy and environmental costs. Trees help nature regain a footing across our built environments – creating natural connections.These trees also make us feel better. They are proven to improve our physical and mental well-being."

Our previous leafleting activity with Trees for Streets proved a resounding success (lots of GoodGymers to leaflet; residents signing up for the scheme the same night...), so we were keen to repeat.

Some brilliant planning.

After Simeon sat us down with fantastic maps, complete with highlighted streets and areas drawn up for our two different groups, we made our way out to the front of the hotel for the briefest of warm-ups and a little more info on what we were doing this evening.

Then, our small group, led by Southwark Area Activator, Sam, sped along Old Ford Road to the Crown Pub, where we divided into two groups. One group focused on the Roman Road area, while the other group led by Sam, proceeded to head towards the Tredegar Road area, on a slightly longer run.

50 minutes of leafleting passed in a flash. We commented on what a surprisingly physical task it is, by the time you've sped up and down streets and steps multiple times.

500 fantastic good deeds

Both teams met at the Grove Road junction to say our final farewells for the night, but not before congratulating our Anna again on her 500th good deed.

Anna has been GoodGyming for nine years, since October 2013, and has now clocked up 500 good deeds, including many, many Coach Runs.

Until next time

And so we headed our separate ways, glad to have got the week off to such a good start.

Until next time.

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Tower HamletsGroup run
+2
Charlotte PriceIvy
Fiona MEvie McGregorJessica Farmery

Don't Stand Bow Close To Me

Monday 13th September 2021

Written by Laura Williams

Not a bad-sized group for this evening's task, joining the wonderful Trees for Streets team for the second time.

But first, the workout...

Team GG showed up early in pretty St Stephen's Green a little earlier than our Task Owners, to enjoy a short workout (and few Cadburys Heroes). We sped through some slow-out-fast-back shuttle runs; endless squat variations and speed skating, and other lower body warm-ups, before handing over to the brilliant Lizzie and Simeon for tonight's intro and instructions.

Armed with A3 maps, highlighters galore and the best local knowledge going, we were soon divided into three teams, over two Bow wards.

Those brush letterboxes

It was a busy evening out on these bustling East London streets but we all managed to blitz our areas: no letterbox too tough; no dog bark too ferocious, no street too long. We did good.

And it was really great to get the opportunity to chat to residents, some of whom opened their front doors (mainly those who heard us wrestling with those pesky brush letterboxes), to come out and find out what all the fuss was about: "Trees, I tell you, it's all about the trees"

We arranged to meet back at the Lord Morpeth after 8, to compare our leftover leaflet stash; flyering anecdotes, pics and post-task plans.

Well. Done. All.

What a team.

A huge shout-out to Simon, who not only took the reins at dividing up all those many streets into teams, but who's also just became the most recent member of our Task Force. Amazing stuff.

And to Charlotte who took some great pics, and to all those who showed up to this step-heavy, productive task tonight.

Until next week, folks.

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Tower HamletsGroup run
+3
LeoIvy
JohnnyNaikeEvie McGregor

Trees the Day

Monday 23rd August 2021

Written by Laura Williams

It was a decent sized group in the end who gathered to meet Lizzie and Simeon from the Trees for Streets team.

The sun put in appearance; the Museum Gardens looked beautiful, the project interesting, and then brought beautifully to life by Simeon and Lizzie.

Why trees on streets matter

We started with an explanation about Trees for Streets: why we were there; the role of the lowly tree, and how more of them can benefit our beautiful borough. We learned about how the scheme is one of sponsorship, in partnership with the council, and how multiple households can club together for a tree to make this doable and affordable for all.

All a-ward!

Then the serious business of the leafleting strategy was revealed: divided up into two wards, using our local knowledge of house-filled streets, we were divided into teams, along with highlighters and maps and dispatched to five areas of Bow and Bethnal Green.

We blitzed road after road, chatting to interested residents along our way. Those who headed further East managed to get a bit more running in, ending up with a decent step count for the day.

Mine's a flat white

We arrived back at base at 8 (some of us, who insisted on squeezing in "just that last half a street" a little after). And so the remaining leaflets were carefully laid out in team piles on our weighing bench where our flawless, highly sensitive adjudication system ascertained the thinnest pile was indeed Team Stepney, consisting of just a two-man effort of Johnny and Leo. What work. The lucky team won a £20 voucher for the lovely Chiringuito summer meeting spot, to help fuel a future Flat White Saturday for the boys.

The after-party

We posed for some winning team pics, savoured the last of tonight's Cadbury's Heroes, before bidding farewell to Lizzie and Simeon, with some of the thirsty leafleters heading off for a post-task beer.

Well done, team. Massive congratulations on finding the perfect streets, covering multiple miles, turning out on a warm, free August Monday to get on board with this splendid scheme.

Until next time.

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