Fruit trees are being planted at six schools that don’t have green areas to improve air quality in the playground.

Brent Council says it aims to give children “a stronger start” in their education by learning in a healthier environment.

The trees were arranged by the Groundwork community action charity, paid for by council sponsorship deals with commercial companies like Tesco supermarket chain and waste contractor Veolia.

Veolia started an ‘Orchard’ campaign in 2023, donating 600 fruit trees and 800 strawberry plants to schools up and down the country.

It is now expanding the scheme to another 192 schools, including six in Brent such as St Mary Magdalen’s Primary in Willesden.

The apple and pear trees and organic strawberry plants were delivered to the schools last month, ready for spring planting.

Tesco donated planters made from recycled soft plastic made from carrier bags and bread and pasta packaging collected from customers.

“We’re turning the plastic waste we collect into something new,” Tesco’s packaging campaigns manager Courtney Pallett explained. “The recycling collection points in our stores help make soft plastics easier for shoppers to recycle.

“Keeping soft plastic out of the environment is also helping create greener learning spaces for children in schools.”

Veolia, meanwhile, has been providing peat-free compost to fill the planters as part of its ‘Sustainable Schools’ promotion to educate children on protecting the environment.

Veolia’s Pascal Hauret said: “Improving air quality around schools and finding recycling solutions benefits communities through ‘ecological transformation’. 

“Our ‘Orchard’ programme launched only last year has become a popular campaign with schools. We’re supporting nearly double the amount we did in 2022.” 

Brent Council is working on a ‘climate action’ programme involving all schools and encouraging pupils to take action themselves on helping improve the environment. The town hall is working to meet its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Trees remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during the process of photosynthesis, pupils have been learning. In return, trees give oxygen back into the atmosphere, providing fresh air that we all breathe.