Call for volunteers to help plant trees and hundreds of spring bulbs across Blaen-y-maes and Portmead

People across Swansea are being urged to join Swansea Community Farm, Pobl Group and Swansea Council to help plant hundreds of spring bulbs and almost 30 new trees across Penderi.

The Penderi Planting project is calling for community members to take part in planting sessions on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout November across two key areas in Blaen-y-Maes and Portmead.

The sessions, led by Swansea Community Farm, will see 23 new trees and hundreds of new spring bulbs planted between Robin Road and Dove Road, while a further six trees, bulbs and wildflowers will be planted on the corner of Whiteford Road and Broughton Avenue.

Both areas have been selected by the community for improvement, and will help to provide a wide range of benefits to support wellbeing, provide spaces for nature and tackle the impact of climate change.

The trees will provide vital habitat for birds, insects and wildlife, food for pollinators like bees and butterflies as well as fruit and berries throughout the year.

They will absorb carbon from the air and produce oxygen as well as absorbing huge amounts of water helping to combat flooding. 

These areas will also provide a space for learning for pupils from Blaen-y-maes, Portmead and Cadle primary schools as well as a space for the whole community to enjoy. 

The initiative is part of the Penderi Green Regeneration Project, which includes partners Swansea City Council, Room to Grow, the Environment Centre, and Swansea Community Farm, and aims to support local people to connect with their green spaces, to improve them for people and nature.

Community Development Facilitator for Pobl Kate McCabe said: “It’s fantastic to be working with Swansea Community Farm and Swansea Council to help transform both these areas for people and nature in Penderi.

“We’ve worked closely with members of the community to highlight which areas they’d like to see improved with planting, and we’re excited to be getting the work underway this month.

“These newly planted trees and spring bulbs will be hugely beneficial across both areas, and will breathe new life into the community. They will support wellbeing and connect people with good quality green spaces, which is vital for us all to feel well. 

“This project aligns with the aims of the Penderi Green Regeneration Project, which has been successful in encouraging people throughout the area to connect with and appreciate their amazing green spaces this year.

“We’d encourage anyone who wants to support our community planting sessions to please get in touch.”

Pobl Group and Swansea Council has launched the planting project with funding from the Community Renewal Fund,  Enabling our Natural Resources and Wellbeing Fund (ENRW) and Local Places for Nature.

If anyone would like to get involved with the planting sessions every Wednesday and Friday in November from 10am to 4pm contact Kate McCabe at Pobl Group on info@penderi.co.uk or 07796725936.