GREEN-fingered residents in the Croft area of Old Town will enhance the area’s leafy look this coming weekend by planting saplings on the Evelyn Street railway embankment.

The 60 trees will mark 60 years of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year and will grow along the path which represents the original route of the rail track from Evelyn railway bridge along the embankment to Pipers Way. Other bushes and shrubs will be planted to encourage food sources for local wildlife including rare bats.

Residents are invited to help with the work on Saturday morning and refreshments will be provided. Colin Doubleday, chairman of Pipers’ Area Residents Association, said: “Evelyn Street bridge and the embankment are a much-loved local feature. We are pleased to be able to improve this area and to work as a whole community to focus on our environment.”

The association will hold the tree planting event from 10.30am.

Mr Doubleday said: “If you are interested to join us we hope to see all ages and abilities, just come down to the embankment between Marlborough Road and Marlborough Lane.

“Bring a spade if you have one and there will be tea and cake for all volunteers.”

On Friday at 1pm some residents will also be working with children and teachers from Croft Primary School and The Swindon Ranger Team to plant some of the trees.

Colin said: “Planting trees is a fun activity that we can share with people of all ages. The trees last and grow into the future so that we can each think ‘I did that’. This is a great opportunity to look to the future and celebrate our area.

“We are looking forward to sharing the planting with children from the Croft Primary School who will act as Junior Tree Wardens to see these trees grow through their school career and beyond.”

The trees have been donated by The Woodland Trust, via Paul Bradbury, a local contractor, and the planting has been facilitated by a Community Grant, which was obtained by the hard work of Coun Nadine Watts (Lab, Old Town). “The whole event has been organised by local volunteer Wiltshire Tree Warden and PaRa member Adrian Downing, who lives in Evelyn St.

Mr Doubleday said “We are very grateful for the donation of the trees and equipment and the hard work of Adrian, Martin Hambridge and the council rangers team and others. We look forward to sharing this with all residents on Saturday and beyond.”