Great big green week
Published
Monday 2 June, 2025
Updated
Monday 23 June, 2025
Celebrate this year’s Great Big Green Week at events being hosted across Swale.
Swale Borough Council has teamed up with local organisations to host environment themed activities from 7-15 June.
The council, working with volunteers and a local business, has organised a community volunteer day, on 9 June, to help collect and remove thousands of tree covers from Kingsborough Manor Woodlands.
Thousands of whips, which were planted with protective tree covers alongside a development in Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey, have now grown into 13 hectares of beautiful community woodland.
However, the trees have outgrown their protective guards, and a group of committed volunteers have been working hard to collect and clear the fallen covers.
CDDL Recycling are providing the tonne bags needed to collect the guards and have offered to remove and recycle the covers for free.
Volunteers are being asked to meet at 9 am on 9 June in Kingsborough Manor Community Woodlands car park (off Plough Road) ME12 4ST.
There will also two litter picks, one at the Faversham Rec and another at the Lynsted and Teynham Women's Institute (Teynham Community Hall) on 11 June.
If you want to get active in nature, learn about the tree species within Swale, and have a chance to socialise – join the council’s guided tree walk on 12 June starting at the King George V Playing Field in Sittingbourne at 1pm.
Cllr Dolley Wooster, chair of the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee, said:
“Great big green week is an amazing opportunity to come together and make a positive impact on our environment – and we need your help.
“We are working with committed volunteers, local non-profits and businesses to host a variety of fun activities across Swale to give back to nature and meet like-minded people.
“Whether that is helping maintain a beautiful woodland or stream, cleaning up our community spaces by joining in on the litter picks, or learning about the trees in our local greenspaces.
“We wanted as many people as possible to be able to get involved - so there is something for everyone, and across the borough, so come along to our events and help make Swale a greener and cleaner place this Great Big Green Week.”
Events in order:
8 June Stream Clear at Westbrook and Stonebridge Pond
The Friends of the Westbrook and Stonebridge Pond are a voluntary community group in Faversham who are working to restore a chalk stream and improve the stream, pond and surrounding paths for the community and wildlife. The next work party will be on Sunday 8th June, 10am to 12 noon. If you are interested in helping out you’d be ever so welcome! Please email Anna at westbrookstonebridge@gmail.com before Friday 6th June.
8 June - Kent Community Police Day
Swale Borough Council will be attending the first Kent Community Police Day to promote various green initiatives, including Swale Cycle Recycle and Solar Together. You can visit the event between 10am and 3pm on Sunday the 8th of June at the Appleyard in Sittingbourne.
9 June - Kingsborough Manor Woodland, between 9 and 12
The council are once again teaming up with local business CDDL to help collect and remove thousands of tree covers from Kingsborough Manor Community Woodland.
Thousands of whips were planted with protective tree covers alongside a development in Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey. However, the trees have now outgrown their guards, and a group of committed volunteers have been working hard to collect and clear the fallen covers.
CDDL will be providing tonne bags for the volunteers to place the tree guards, and will be removing and recycling the covers for free.
Volunteers can meet at 9am on 9 June in the car park off plough road, Kingsborough Manor Community Woodland.
11 June - Litter picks
The council is hosting a litter pick at Faversham Rec between 9am and 12pm on the 11th June, and supporting another litter pick by the Lynsted and Teynham Women's Institute, Teynham Community Hall, 89 Station Road.
12 June - Guided Tree Walk
On Thursday 12 June the Council's Greenspace Officer will be hosting a guided walk around King George V playing field, Park Avenue, Sittingbourne ME10 1QX. The walk will begin at 1pm, and will provide you with an opportunity to learn about the trees in your local greenspaces and socialise.
15 June - Nature Recording Walk
Starting from 9:30 am, volunteers will be recording all kinds of species found at Milton Creek Country Park. No previous experience is required. Meet at Milton Creek Country Park car park (ME10 2EX). This is a recurring event, and details of further events can be found by following this link.
Find out more on how Swale Borough Council are taking climate action here.
