For the second year in a row Barking and Dagenham has joined cities worldwide including San Francisco, Washington DC and Barcelona, to be recognised as a ‘tree city of the world’.

The international programme celebrates cities across all continents that meet core standards for the care and planting of urban trees and forests.

Although not a city, Barking and Dagenham received the backing of the scheme’s organisers, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), along with the Arbor Day Foundation, to earn the global award.

6,500 trees line the streets of Barking and Dagenham and in the last year, the council has planted a new woodland called the ‘Forest of Thanks’ to say thank you to all key workers for their heroic efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s a great honour to get this really prestigious award two years in a row and in recognition of all the fantastic work we’ve been doing to green the borough.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Public Realm, said: “It’s a great honour to get this really prestigious award two years in a row and in recognition of all the fantastic work we’ve been doing to green the borough, even during these challenging times.

“In the last year, we have managed to plant an additional 410 trees in our streets, parks and amenity spaces, and we were lucky enough to receive 1,654 hours of planting work from our enthusiastic volunteers.”

Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, added: “To be recognised as a Tree City, a community has to meet core standards to show their commitment to caring for its trees and forests, and this is so important to us. We’re particularly proud of our Forest of Thanks, which we planted last year as a permanent woodland tribute to all our frontline workers, consisting of 28,000 trees.

“Trees have many benefits for the environment and us all, and that’s why we’re investing in our borough’s green spaces to create a place where people want to work and live.”

We’re particularly proud of our Forest of Thanks, which we planted last year as a permanent woodland tribute to all our frontline workers, consisting of 28,000 trees.

There are currently 28 parks in Barking and Dagenham and over 460 hectares of public open space available for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The borough is one of only five locations named in London as part of the international programme, which recognises 120 cities globally.

Find out more about the scheme on the Tree Cities of the World website.