• Volunteers help Severn Trent plant trees across two sites in Willenhall and Wolverhampton
• 7,185 trees planted across seven acres in total
• Severn Trent delivering on its commitment to create a carbon neutral legacy following the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Over 7,000 trees have been planted across the Black Country as customers joined Severn Trent in helping to create a carbon neutral legacy following the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The seven acres planted at Monmer Lane in Willenhall and Ashmore Park in Wolverhampton recently, has brought the total acreage of the Commonwealth Forest to 148, with over 104,000 trees planted at sites across the Midlands.

Last year, Severn Trent, the Official Nature and Carbon Neutral Partner of Birmingham 2022, committed to helping create a carbon neutral legacy for the Games by planting 2,022 acres of Commonwealth Forest across the Midlands, bringing urban communities closer to nature. 

Miranda De Freston, Senior Environmental Engagement Manager at Severn Trent, said: “We’re passionate about making a positive impact on the communities and the environment where we live and operate, so we were delighted to see customers join us in planting trees across these two sites.

“These new spaces are about creating an incredible legacy where nature can thrive and flourish. What’s good for nature is good for water, and as the trees mature, they will help store carbon that has been generated from the Games, increasing biodiversity and reducing flood risks.

“I’d like to thank everyone who came to our planting days in Willenhall and Ashmore Park. By the end of this planting season, we hope to have added over 300 acres to our Commonwealth Forest through a mix of community and non-community planting days, which will bring us closer to our 2,022-acre commitment.” 

Alex Thompson, a pupil at Fortis Academy in Great Barr, who attended the Ashmore Park planting day with the school’s Eco Council, said: “We attended the planting day to give something back to our community with Severn Trent and make a difference. 

“The day was really rewarding, we’ll look back over the next few years and remember what we’ve done. I’ll be coming back in the future to see all the trees that we planted – it will show us all what we’ve accomplished.”

Balbir Seimar, who took part in the Willenhall planting day, said: “It’s a great initiative and it’s wonderful to see Severn Trent taking the lead with tree planting – I was pleased to hear when I found out that they were doing this.  

“The forests will also help to oxygenate the air and keep us healthy, which is why I decided to sign up and come along.” 

Last year, 72 Tiny Forests were also planted by Severn Trent across the Midlands in 2022 as part of the drive to make Birmingham 2022 the most sustainable Commonwealth Games yet.