A partnership between Middlesbrough Council and Thirteen Housing Group will see one hundred trees planted in the area.
Thirteen is working with the council to improve the environment across Middlesbrough for the benefit local communities.
The first trees have been already been planted to mark the start of the UK’s largest annual tree celebration.
National Tree Week, which runs between 28 November until 6 December, marks the start of the winter tree planting season.
To mark the event, children at Pennyman Primary School in Netherfields got their hands dirty and joined Thirteen and Middlesbrough Council to help plant some of the fruit trees.
The trees, which require limited maintenance, will begin to bear fruit in the next year and form mini orchards.
Thirteen’s environmental specialist, John Woods, said: “Learning about the environment, why trees are so important, is such a valuable lesson for children and their families.
“Trees are the most effective natural way of helping to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. We want to increase biodiversity in the green areas we manage to support and protect the natural habitats of birds, bees and insects.
“This project is all about giving something back to the community and any produce from the trees will be shared between the communities living on the estates.
“It is one of many community projects that we’re working on to improve the environment for our customers.”
(L-R) Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston; Jessica-Paige O’Neill; Executive member for Communities and Education at Middlesbrough Council Mieka Smiles; Thirteen’s environmental specialist, John Woods; and Thirteen’s head of Estate Services, Michael Hall
Mayor of Middlesbrough Andy Preston said: “This is just one location in Middlesbrough which will benefit from the project.
“This is a fantastic project, we’re planting cherry, plums, apple and pear trees. It will help to reconnect children with nature. It’s great for mental health and great for the environment.”
Executive member for Communities and Education at Middlesbrough Council Mieka Smiles added: “There are so many reasons why this is a great project for Middlesbrough.
“It’s educational for the children, teaching them where their food comes from, and it’s going to be lovely – if they’re hungry and want a healthy snack, they can pick their own fruit.”
Working with members of local residents’ groups, Thirteen says the remaining trees will help to bring communal land back to life, providing fresh fruit for the community and greener neighbourhoods.
Thirteen owns and manages around 34,000 homes from an area spanning North Tyneside to York, with the majority in the Tees Valley, making it the largest landlord in the North East.
Main image: (L-R) Executive member for Communities and Education at Middlesbrough Council, Mieka Smiles; Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston; Thirteen’s head of Estate Services, Michael Hall; Thirteen’s Environmental specialist, John Woods; and Mackenzie McCabe
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