A pilot project has been running for a year already. Trees on the Green began in January 2015 with the construction of three Trees on Rushey Green in Catford, SE6.
Photos and videos on our Facebook page Trees on the Green.
In February 2015, the first displays on the newly constructed Trees celebrated Love & Valentine's Day. In March we dressed the Trees with daffodil windmills, messages for Mothers' Day, 150 shamrocks made by Holy Cross school for St. Patrick's Day & a hundred empty bottles for UN Word Water Day. In May we built a Tree of logs atop Hilly Fields for the Brockley Max Festival Art in the Park. A hundred children & adults drew messages and pictures which we laminated & fixed onto the Festival Tree. This Hilly Tree has been further festooned, with the help of local people.
The plan for 2016 is to build two new Trees on new sites - one from recycled metal, the other, recycled plastic or wood, again on public sites. Plus continuing to develop the current Trees

What we'll deliver:

• Continue to festoon the Hilly Fields Tree in conjunction with schools and community groups
• , in conjunction with schools, community groups & local specialist crafts people (we have a list)
• Develop the social media side of the project to reachthe many local community groups
• Revamp the three Trees on the Green on the high street in Catford, in conjunction with schools & community groups
• To make people feel proud of where we live by having them join in the dressing of the Trees

Why it's a great idea:

Because people connect with the Trees on a day to day basis. Hundreds have already contributed artworks & messages for display. This demonstrates pride & wanting to be included.
Tens of thousands have seen the Rushey Green Trees - from, passing cars, from buses & those who walk past them every day. The decorations have been drawn & made by The Rushey Green Nursery, Lewisham Irish Centre's Mums & Toddler Group, Holbeach and Rushey Green, Olive Tree Moslem and Holy Cross R.C. primary schools, Holbeach Ptre-school & the Lewisham Toy Library. People comment on the displays: Maxie Priest, local musician, said he had never heard of World Water Day until our display, similarly the U.N. International Day of the Family. Very personal messages were written by people recovering from drugs & alcohol abuse during RECOVERY month (thanks to CRI). Also by LB Lewisham Crime Enforcement Regulation Office with a display for White Ribbon Day, where men pledge not to be violent towards women.

Steps to get it done:

• Local organisations come to us. The Trees have proved to be effective way to reach local people.
• Organised by co-managers, Joe Grossi (crafts person, producer & actor) & Manny Gaskin (architect and poet!)
• Liaison with community groups e.g. Lewisham Polish Centre executing a display for World Women's Day
• We already have a team of volunteers who have helped to date, including teenagers

Philippe Granger of the Rushey Green Time Bank wrote that: "The Trees have become a local icon".
In the early days, some passers by threatened to burn them down. But now they are regarded with affection.
Trees on the Green was inspired by the heaps of things that get fly-tipped around the Rushey Green area. To their credit, Lewisham Council do their best to stop this. Also local residents leave recyclable materials outside their homes. Using these very materials, plus timbers donated by SELCO, the first three Trees were made last January. The ambibiton then was to also build a metal & a plastic tree, but this was too ambitious.
We are now ready to take this on: these new Tree sculptures will remind people of the value of metal, hard plastics. We shall also encourage the recycling of paper, which LB Lewisham can more easily sell for recycling.
To date, volunteers have made this all possible, hundreds of man-hours contributed by the co-managers alone. A bit of people power.