TO mark its 91st anniversary today (Saturday, 20 February) a Thurrock company has announced the expansion of its tree-planting programme.

South Ockendon-based construction company H. W. Wilson marked its 90th anniversary last year when it pledged to plant the same number of trees as the anniversary number from 2020 to its Centenary in 2030.

But to mark today, the company has decided to step up the programme.

So, instead of 91 trees on its 91st anniversary, 92 trees on its 92nd and so on, H. W. Wilson will now secure 100 trees on every 20 February from now until 2030. By the end of its Centenary year in 2030 a total of 1,090 trees will have been planted.

Managing Director, Peter Wiffen, says: "H. W. Wilson has always taken great pride in being a local company and has been Ockendon-based since its founding in the early 1920s by Henry Wilson.

"On 20 February 1930 H. W. Wilson became a limited company and we wanted to acknowledge our 90th to 100th anniversaries in a special way and there is nothing more special than investing in our future and that is what we intend to over the next decade until our centenary in 2030.

"We will make every effort to build upon our current extensive undertakings to reduce and then offset our carbon footprint. 'Building on our reputation since 1930' is our current strapline but we are certainly building for the future with our commitment and pledge to plant 1,090 trees in the next ten years!

"This is an important commitment by H. W. Wilson to the environment and ensures the company will meet its objective of being carbon neutral. Trees contribute to our environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife. During the process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breathe.

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"H. W. Wilson reduced the carbon it produced to 53 tonnes in 2020 and current guidelines state that one tree should be planted for every one tonne of carbon produced. 100 trees is 47 more than what H. W. Wilson should plant.£

The company is working with Carbon Footprint Ltd who use the local knowledge and expertise of tree planting partners to ensure the right trees are planted in the appropriate places. The trees are predominantly planted in school grounds, reserves and managed woodland where they will live their natural lifespan and meet their biodiversity targets.

Mr Wiffen adds: "For every tree H. W. Wilson secures, a tonne of carbon will also be saved in the Brazilian Amazon via Carbon Footprint's VCS-avoided deforestation programme. H. W. Wilson will therefore be offsetting carbon, planting and protecting forests and biodiversity in two continents."