In March 2020 a small group of residents got together to conserve and care for our local environment and to make a small difference where possible. Our aim is to plant and maintain trees, shrubs, flower borders and bulbs for everyone’s enjoyment. This will also benefit nature and mitigate some of the effects of climate change.
Since then the Greener Greenham Group https://greenergreenhamgroup.org.uk has planted more than 50 trees, some in front gardens under an adopt-a-tree scheme and others on the Stroud Green Triangle and various open spaces. We have worked closely with West Berks County and Greenham Parish Councils to plant and maintain trees at the Greenham Road end of Stroud Green, the Blue Gate to the common and by the Diamond Playing field.
Thousands of bulbs are planted every year and can be seen in the spring and summer on Stroud Green, School Green, Pyle Hill, Westwood Road and New Road by St Mary’s Church.
We organise regular litter picks with the help of other volunteers, participate in the Great British Spring Clean; plant and maintain flower borders and tubs at Greenham Control Tower, Westwood Rd and Greenham Community Centre.
We are a very small group who enjoy what we do. We have been well supported in our community events, for instance in 2021 we had help from 50 local people to plant bulbs on Stroud Green in a snowstorm! We are grateful for financial support from donations, grants from Greenham Parish Council and The Greenham Trust. https://app.thegoodexchange.com/project/20001/greener-greenham-group/greenham---our-local-environment.
Our plans for the future? Thanks to West Berks Council we will be planting and maintaining a community orchard along Pigeons Farm Road in autumn 2023. We are also adding to the bulbs on School Green. Inevitably new building is constantly encroaching into open spaces around Greenham but we are working with others to ensure that landscaping softens the impact on nature and that access to the green spaces are maintained through footpaths and access routes. We continually search for planting opportunities to make Greenham even Greener. Do join us, you will find a warm welcome.