Planting a legacy for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Ground Control and Severn Trent plant 10,000 trees across the West Midlands ready for the Commonwealth Games

As an official supplier to Severn Trent, the Official Nature and Carbon Neutral Supporter of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Ground Control is delighted to be supporting the delivery of two of Severn Trent’s stand out initiatives, which will help to leave a positive social and environmental legacy across the West Midlands.

Severn Trent is creating  72 tennis-court-sized Tiny Forests across the region, one for each of the nations and territories competing in the Games. The sites will help to deliver a lasting legacy for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games as well as boosting access to green space in urban areas, supporting environmental education and increasing regional resilience against environmental issues such as flooding, heat stress and nature loss.

Over 10,000 trees have been planted across 17 community groups and school sites in Walsall, Lichfield, West Bromwich and Birmingham over the first three weeks of planting, with further sites set to be planted in Wolverhampton, Coventry & Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Dudley and Hinckley over the next few weeks.

Earthwatch Europe, the environmental charity pioneering the Tiny Forest movement in the UK, is supporting Severn Trent in the delivery of the Tiny Forests, which can attract over 500 animal and plant species within the first three years of planting.

Ground Control as a specialist in sustainable tree planting, grounds maintenance, and landscape design, is working with contractors from the local areas to deliver the planting of the 72 tiny forests of native trees on Severn Trent land surrounding the Commonwealth Games venues and adjacent communities.

Andrew Staley, one of the Ground Control Contract Manager’s for the teams of tree planters commented:

“As a company that proudly cares for the environment, it is fantastic to be completing this work for Severn Trent, and we’re very excited at the proposition of setting a benchmark with what will hopefully be the first Carbon Natural Commonwealth Games”

Severn Trent’s Forest Delivery Manager, Ricky Dallow, said: 

To have planted 10,000 trees across 17 sites in our first three weeks is a fantastic milestone and really shows the scale of the project and the impact that these Tiny Forests will have across the region. We have been overwhelmed by the support and interest that we’ve received from local communities so far, it’s been amazing to help communities plant trees that they will benefit from for generations to come.