Horsenden Hill, Ealing, London

168 trees donated by Green Tomato Cars in 2017/18 were amongst 9,000 planted at Horsenden Hill to create a brand new urban woodland in north Ealing. Alongside Ealing Council, Trees for Cities identified the site in Greenford as an area where a mass tree planting project would have great benefit to the local community and environment. Ealing is ranked in the top 30% most deprived local authorities in England and is an exceptionally diverse borough, with the 4th most diverse population in the country. With a high population density, green spaces are hugely valuable resources in Ealing, providing an essential resource for health and well being in the urban environment. This community-led project will engage and benefit thousands of underprivileged people in the area by providing access to high-quality green space in the built up urban environment. The extended woodland will have significant benefits for biodiversity in the area. Whilst pockets of green space create natural habitat, the larger and more joined up the space the more the species in the area are able to flourish. As the woodland becomes established, it will also provide excellent benefits in shielding the community green space from noise and air pollution, sequestering CO2 and absorbing air pollution. Two community planting days saw over 500 volunteers from different backgrounds come together to collectively enhance the urban space for the benefit of the environment and local people. Volunteers present included 200 children and over 300 adults from local areas!