Global 'Trees for Cities' initiative to breath new life into Manchester!

Wednesday 14th April 2004 marks the Manchester launch of a brand new global initiative, which will tackle the many environmental hazards of city living through tree planting, and which has chosen Manchester as one of it's very first project cities.

'Trees for Cities' will be working in 20 cities around the world - but it has selected Manchester to be one of the very first to benefit from it's work. Other cities that will be involved in the first phase of this global greening project are Madrid (Spain), Bucharest (Romania) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

To mark the launch of 'Trees for Manchester' - as the Manchester arm of the project will be called - 31 street trees will be planted in the Victoria Park area of Rusholme, Manchester on 14th April, from 9am onwards until 5pm, along Upper Park Road.
On the same day, trees will also be planted in the other three cities, symbolising the unified approached of the project to green the cities of the world.

Trees for Manchester is a collaboration of the Southern-based Trees for London charity, which is expanding to a world-wide market, and Red Rose Forest, Greater Manchester's Community Forest, which has been working for over 12 years to improve the environment across the county. Upwards of 5000 trees will be planted over the next five years by this partnership.

Trees for Cities will demonstrate the power of urban trees to improve air quality and living conditions within busy a conurbation. Trees absorb the carbon and other pollutants generated within cities (just 322 city trees recently surveyed in New York took 145 tonnes of pollutants out of the air). Air quality in cities is improved by trees as they remove many of the pollution particles that aggravate asthma and other respiratory diseases. Trees also play a vital role in the urban ecosystem by supporting a wide variety of wildlife from birds to beetles. Trees can help even noise pollution as every 30 metres of woodland belt reduces noise pollution by 6-8 decibels. Whilst studies have shown that house prices in tree-lined streets can be up to 18% higher. And then there is the effect that trees have on our psyche, reducing the stresses of urban living.

Trees for Manchester has also committed to involve local communities, schools and the City Council in it's work, making sure that every tree that is planted is respected and cared for in the long term.

Said Faith Ashworth, of Red Rose Forest:

Manchester is a thriving, ever-growing city, which relies on the 'green lungs' of its trees and greenery to keep it healthy and attractive. Red Rose Forest is thrilled to be working with Trees for Cities in Manchester, to inspire and encourage thousands of Mancunians to see the value of their city's trees and to create fresh, organic spaces within a busy, industrial city, for the benefit of all.

Said Graham Simmonds, Chief Executive for Trees for Cities:

The onset of global warming is the most serious issue facing today's generation. Our experience in London over the last 10 years has taught us that people and companies want to do something real and tangible for the environment and our aim now as Trees for Cities is to harness this enthusiasm and generate a greening renaissance in cities around the world".

Ends

For further information about Trees for Manchester, the Red Rose Forest and the tree planting at Victoria Park, please contact Faith Ashworth, Marketing Manager, Red Rose Forest on 0161 872 1660 / 07766 747 187.

For further information about Trees for Cities and the broader initiative, including work in London, Addis Ababa, Bucharest and Madrid, contact Graham Simmonds at Trees for Cities 020 7587 1320 graham@treesforcities.org or visit www.treesforcities.org

Notes to Editors

Trees for Cities is an independent charity based in London that was set up in 1993 (the charity was called Trees for London until June 2003 when it changed its name to Trees for Cities). Its four founding members are still its trustees (Jake Kempston, Julian Blake, Dr Belinda Winder and Jane Bruton) and its founding director, Graham Simmonds, is its Chief Executive. The charity is aiming to generate a new urban greening renaissance by running an expanding programme of city-wide tree planting and greening projects that all put the involvement of local people, especially young people, at their core (see below). Trees for Cities has an annual turnover of around £800,000 and is funded through a mix of voluntary donations, corporate sponsorships, government grants and support from charitable trusts and foundations. Richard Rogers, the architect, is the charity's Founding Patron.

Trees for Cities' partners are: ARBA (Madrid, Spain); ECOSENS (Bucharest, Romania); the Gashe Abera Molla Project (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia); Red Rose Forest (Manchester, UK); and Trees for London (London, UK).

Red Rose Forest is an environmental regeneration initiative in Greater Manchester and is one of 12 Community Forests being developed in England. We are a partnership of The Countryside Agency, the Forestry Commission and six Greater Manchester local authorities. The Red Rose Forest partnership is planting over 25 million trees across 292 square miles of the area, as part of a 40-year programme that will make Greater Manchester a greener and more satisfying place to live and work. At the heart of our strategy is the involvement of local communities in the environmental, social and economic regeneration of the area.

Trees for Manchester is the name of the Trees for Cities project working in Manchester, and is a partnership between Trees for Cities and Red Rose Forest.

The tree planting on the 14th April 2004, which will mark the Manchester launch of Trees for Cities has been co-ordinated by Red Rose Forest alongside Victoria Park Environment Group, and Manchester City Council.