The football may be on pause but staff, volunteers and junior players at West Didsbury & Chorlton have been busy during lockdown working to improve their local environment by planting trees.

Alongside landowner Betel UK, West have been working with environmental organisation City of Trees to plant 1,000 new trees on scrubland at Hardy Farm where the juniors play.

The expert team from City of Trees did most of the work but left a few saplings for some of the young people from the club and the community to plant on their own. Trees planted include willow, alder, beech, cherry and oak. The trees are mixture of fast growing species and some like the oak that could live for 900 years, providing an asset to those in Chorlton for many generations.

City of Trees is delivering a green recovery and tackling the climate emergency head on, through planting trees and restoring woodlands for the people and wildlife of Greater Manchester. Working with communities, organisations, and businesses to build an ambitious movement, dedicated to planting a tree for every citizen within just five years.

West provide footballing opportunities for over 250 local boys and girls aged 5-18, as well as running adult sides for men, women, and veterans. The 1,000 trees planted at Hardy Farm will aid the current poor drainage of the soil and create an asset for local wildlife.

Tim Manley, West’s Junior Section Chair and whose teams play on Hardy Farm, said: “We are delighted to play a part, however small, in the aspiration to make a greener Manchester. The tree planting will help combat the climate emergency with the added bonus that the water-hungry trees may go a little way towards improving the junior pitches.”

City of Trees’ Beth Kelsall added: “We were delighted to work with West and Betel UK to help plant trees on this well-used area of greenspace for the benefit of both local people and the environment. Our ambitious mission is to plant three million trees in the next five years so urge community groups and landowners to come forward with possible sites to help green Greater Manchester”.

Eve Holt, ward councillor for Chorlton, commented: “It’s great to see this initiative coming to Chorlton and being promoted by the football club. Not only will this benefit the club with help towards pitch drainage, the long term benefits to the wider area will be seen for years to come. This is another positive step towards a greener and biodiverse Chorlton.”