Wilstockhub, a charity set up to fund, build and run a community hub to provide support for the local community encouraged locals with our help, to bring along their spades to the mass planting event.
A number of partners passionate about the environment including Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme, Muddy Boots a community garden project who have planted thousands of daffodils in the community and Quantock Hills joined forces with the Wilstockhub and LiveWest for the event which saw 200 mixed Hazel, beech, oak, rowan and gilder rose bushes and trees planted.
Lucinda Spelman-Ives from Wilstockhub said: “It is great to see local residents getting involved who are passionate about the environment and wildlife and putting their ownership on it too. Children joined in with activities making charcoal ink to draw and pressed leaves to make pictures and made flat breads toasting them on a fire pit whilst the adults dug and planted 200 holes.
Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme supplied the plants to form a long hedgerow and guided by their expertise everyone joined in, bringing a shovel everyone did their part to form a terrific hedgerow which runs along the back of the land where the community centre will be built.”
Sally Hill, Community Connector at LiveWest said “The green areas are really important to residents, allowing them to socialise outside and enjoy the fresh air.”
LiveWest’s tree stock has risen from 28,000 in 2018 to over 36,000, supporting its environmental strategy to enhance its green spaces and improve its environmental footprint.
LiveWest Estate Services Technical Manager Rob Scholefield, who manages the tree stock said: “Trees and green space provide many benefits – cooling estates in summer, encouraging wildlife into urban areas, and providing space for recreation and education opportunities.
“Research has also shown that social housing residents with higher tree cover near their homes reported higher mental wellbeing scores than residents with negligible green space nearby.”
With 136 different species of trees across its geography, figures revealed that the replacement value of LiveWest’s tree stock is now £20 million and the value of the amenity they provide is over £220 million.
Research also found that the trees removed 5.6 tonnes of airborne pollution and 274 tonnes of carbon from the air each year.
Elsewhere it was discovered that LiveWest’s trees absorb over half of the carbon emitted from its 370 repairs’ vans.
The project valued the 7,600 tonnes of carbon stored by our trees at £1.9 million.
LiveWest’s trees also prevent nearly 10,000 cubic metres of storm water going down the drain – an annual benefit valued at £28,000.
LiveWest plans to build more than 7,000 new homes over the next five years and will invest £2billion into the region over the next 10 years.
The protection and improvement of green spaces across its geography is part of its drive to build thriving communities.