One of the most striking sights to greet me in Crofton Park was that of newly planted street trees.  I loved the sense of community and decided to sponsor more tree planting when we moved here just over a year ago.  I’ve always been drawn to working with the community through art workshops or environmental projects, so I thought that raising money for further trees would be a great way to meet my neighbours and work with local businesses. Art workshops to raise funds My idea was to hold art workshops in the local area where children and adults could use reclaimed wood to create abstract tree sculptures.  Art is such a universal language that we all share, especially for children where it’s a natural process that they’re drawn to. For adults, it’s so enriching to see a reconnection with a sense of playfulness and creatively. We used a range of materials to create something tangible, an object that participants could take home. A significant part of the process was the connection and support of …

Forest Hill Society Environment Committee Environment Matters by Quetta Kaye Eleven members of the Forest Hill Society form the Environment Committee – aided by occasional volunteers. Activities vary from chasing telephone companies about dirty, broken junction boxes, washing the walls of the underpass, organising group litter picks, arranging for solar powered lights in the trees outside the station, persuading local businesses to sponsor tubs of plants, and planting activities in the town centre. Planting: Our planting efforts are concentrated around the railway station and town centre in an effort to add colour and brighten the streets for locals and commuters. Plants create a sense of well-being and mental health, but also counter pollution and provide much needed sustainable niches for bees and other insects. This year the Forest Hill Society received its seventh “Outstanding” award from the RHS’s In Bloom “It’s Your Neighbourhood” category and, in addition, we were awarded a National Certificate of Distinction. In October, over a hundred mixed tulip and daffodil bulbs were planted outside the station’s entrance and the platform planters given …