Birmingham Airport supports local tree planting
Birmingham Airport has given support to charity, Birmingham Trees for Life (BTFL), by funding tree planting to help enhance the environment in the local area.
The registered charity, part of the Birmingham Civic Society and City Council, spreads awareness and understanding of the value and importance of trees. Its members raise money to enable more trees to be planted and actively encourage the involvement of communities in planting. Since 2006 over 50,000 trees across the city have been planted by the charity.
Last week it was Sheldon Country Park which was selected due to its proximity to Birmingham Airport. Green fingered members of BTFL were joined by local councillors, park rangers, airport representatives and school children from nearby Stanville Primary School and Perry Beeches Academy, to begin a morning of digging and planting. In total 10 standard trees and 1,000 smaller whips were planted.
Andy Holding, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Birmingham Airport, said: “The trustees decided to award Birmingham Trees for Life with this funding as the work they do doesn’t just bring enormous environmental benefits but also brings together local community groups to help increase awareness of the importance of trees in urban environments.
“This work is very much in line with our Corporate Responsibility Strategy of developing local communities and promoting health and wellbeing in the area.”
Deborah Needle, a Development Officer at BTFL, said: “We are very pleased to have the airport on board as a corporate sponsor. The trees we have planted from their funding will make a huge difference to the environment surrounding the airport and greatly improve this local parkland for future generations.”
Councillor Mike Ward, from the Sheldon Ward and Chair of the Trustees at Birmingham Airport, said “It’s vitally important that we get young people connected with their environment, and this project is a great way of doing that. We hope that by getting the children involved in the planting of trees they will treasure them forever. We are also delighted to see the Airport working alongside local communities.”
The funding awarded to BTFL, forms part of the Birmingham Airport Community Trust Fund which awards grants of up to £3,000 to community groups in areas most affected by the Airport’s operations. Each year the airport contributes £75,000 to the Community Trust Fund.
Additionally any charges made to airlines which breach night noise regulations, are added to the fund.
The next available round of Trust Fund awards will be made in April 2017. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday 24th February 2017.
For further information, visit the Birmingham Airport
website