Dudley MP Ian Austin, is working with the Friends of Buffery Park, to raise funds to plant trees in the park.

The funds will be used to plant 20 new trees after the council announced that trees were going to be removed from the park due to disease but would not be replaced. Austin and the Friends Group are asking local businesses, schools and other organisations in the area to contribute to the costs of replacing the trees.

Buffery Park is a much loved local green space used by families from the area. The Friends of Buffery Park is a group of volunteers who are dedicated to maintaining and improving the park, holding events and preserving the space for the local community. Mr Austin said:

“Steve Briscoe, Lynn Horton and the Friends of Buffery Park do brilliant work looking after the park. They want to replace the trees and I am really pleased to support their work.

"It is a much loved local green-space used by lots of families in the area, and I want to make sure that it is preserved for years to come for the local community to enjoy.

“We’re asking local businesses, schools, organisations and residents if they want to support the campaign and help to raise money to buy the trees, which will cost around £300 each.

“I’ll be paying for one out of the good causes fund I set up when I refused to take the MP’s pay-rise, and it would be great if as many people can get involved as possible.” 

Steve Briscoe, Chair of Friends of Buffery Park added;

“At a time when we should be planting more trees to encourage the environment, we are losing over twenty of ours in Buffery Park, which as a Friends Group we are devastated about.

“That’s why we are working with Ian Austin as our local MP to try and raise the funds needed to get all these trees replaced and do more work on the park to make this an even better place for local residents."