Homes in Wrexham collect first free trees

People in Wrexham are amongst the first in Wales to collect their free tree as part of a bold Welsh Government plan to help tackle climate change.

Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd, Lesley Griffiths, has collected her sapling from the team at Erlas Victorian Walled Garden and is encouraging local residents to claim theirs before the end of March.

It follows a Welsh Government announcement back in December that every household in Wales would be offered a tree.

The first 5,000 trees are now available and Wrexham has been selected as one of five regional hubs where people can collect the seedlings.  This initial pilot scheme will last the month of March, with trees available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In the autumn, the scheme will extend to 25 regional hubs across Wales where 300,000 trees will be available to collect.

The Wrexham hub is located at Erlas Victorian Walled Garden on Bryn Estyn Road.

After collecting her tree, Lesley Griffiths MS said: “I am pleased the excellent Erlas Victorian Walled Garden is playing a key role in this pilot and that some of the first trees planted as part of this ambitious Welsh Government project will be sown here in Wrexham.

“The response so far has been fantastic but there are still plenty of trees left.  This initial scheme is only operational during March so I urge people to pick up their free tree as soon as they can!

“The climate change crisis can seem so vast but the beauty of this Welsh Government initiative is its simplicity.  Planting a tree will help make a difference and can inspire generations.”

The Erlas Victorian Walled Garden is open Monday to Friday during March, from 10am to 3pm.

The Welsh Government has teamed up with Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, to deliver the project and further information can be found on its website.