Decarbonisation focused annual volunteer tree planting week, 3rd-7th of March @ Rhymney Memorial Park.
- Kevin Dawson
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 21
A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who took part in this years tree planting. 158 Volunteers from a number of organisations including; CAB Call Centre staff, DWP, Target Financial Services, Aneurin Bevan, Cygnet Health Care, CAF Rolling Stock UK Ltd., Keep Wales Tidy, ONS, CONVATEC, Star Linen UK, BT Open Reach, IG Design Group, SSAFA and Rhymney residents all gave their time and energy to provide green lungs for Rhymney by doing their bit to reduce carbon by planting 3000 trees over the course of the weeks activities. Well done for all your hard work!
GAVO initiated its first volunteer drive in 2022, in order to support the borough's efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, we launched our first year of volunteer-focused tree planting at Ynys Hywel Farm, where we successfully planted 5,000 saplings.
One memorable participant was a lovely lady from Langstone (shown below). She joined us and shared how the experience of being outdoors and socialising with others had significantly lifted her spirits. Like many, she had been socially isolated while working virtually from home during the pandemic, experiencing the "four walls syndrome." Her workplace was in Bristol. Volunteering not only enhanced her personal sense of well-being but also gave her a fulfilling sense of giving back to the community.
Commencing in 2022, families, young-people, retired people, local Police, students, those with a love of the outdoors and local business volunteering as part of their annual corporate volunteering allowance all put their backs into planting trees to transform a green desert into a lush forest by 2025.
Volunteering outdoors offers significant mental health benefits, including stress reduction, improved mood, increased social connection, and enhanced self-esteem, all while engaging with nature. A means of having new experiences, building confidence and skills & knowledge.
2022 saw Mark Drakeford opening the 3rd post COVID Remembrance Woodland, this included the opportunity for families to plant trees around their personal losses. This site formed our planting venue for 2023.
