Veolia Orchard Campaign Supports the Next Generation of Environmentalists

Veolia donates 500 fruit trees to 100 schools across the country, with 50 trees in Southend-on-Sea

This summer Veolia, in partnership with the community action charity Groundwork, and supported by Southend-on-Sea City Council, launched a new campaign to help local schools blossom with biodiversity and join a national network of orchards. Since the call went out for schools across the country to sign up, Veolia has donated 500 trees to over 100 primary and secondary schools. 

The potential of trees in urban environments to combat the climate crisis is immense, not only in their contribution to increasing biodiversity and improving air quality, but their capacity to mitigate the effects of temperature rises. But more trees are needed, particularly in urban areas like Southend where temperatures are comparatively higher than rural areas and fresh water scarce. The extreme heat waves experienced in the UK just this summer, highlighted the impact that global warming has on our local natural environments, with many trees losing their leaves like it was already autumn. 

By donating orchards to schools, Veolia is placing the power of positive change in the hands of the future guardians of our planet. School children across the country now have the opportunity to plant their very own orchard and learn how to care for them until they bear fruit, providing them with healthy, locally sourced food and nurturing their wellbeing through a reconnection with nature.

This campaign is being powered by Veolia's Sustainable Schools programme which launched during the pandemic to continue its work in educating children and young adults on the importance of protecting our planet and the environment. It is initiatives such as this one that are fuelled by Veolia’s  purpose to deliver ecological transformation, not just looking at one issue that urban school children are facing, but looking for ways to tackle many environmental problems with innovative solutions. 

Schools across Southend will begin planting their fruit trees this November as part of a tailored learning programme, supported by Veolia. For more information on how Veolia supports schools and to discover other partnership opportunities please visit www.veolia.co.uk/schools