Jersey Finance has collaborated with community project GROW to provide firms who took part in its inaugural Sustainable Finance Awards last year with the opportunity to plant a range of fruit and nut trees as part of a local initiative that aims to tackle nutritional poverty and support biodiversity.
21 companies took part in the tree planting session last week (24 March), with representatives from each firm planting a tree at the community horticultural project’s St Helier site. Each tree will have an assigned QR code that provides information on the tree as well as on the organisation that planted it.
A collaboration between non-profit organisation Thrive Jersey, the Parish of St Helier and The Good Jersey Life, GROW supports Islanders experiencing food poverty by donating all fruit and vegetables grown at its 13 vergee smallholding site in St Helier to those in need. It also focuses on providing an educational environment, enabling people to discover more about climate emergency, biodiversity loss, sustainable transport, and responsible soil management.
Commenting, Amy Bryant, Deputy Chief Executive of Jersey Finance, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Members to show their commitment to creating a more sustainable future while also supporting an important project that is playing a vital role in educating Islanders and feeding those without easy access to fresh produce.
“Continuing off the back of our Sustainable Finance Awards, it is encouraging to see our sector taking action, both at a business and community level, to enact meaningful change.”
Sheena Brockie, sustainability consultant at The Good Jersey Life and co-founder of GROW, said: “Getting outside and working together to grow, harvest and learn offers immense positives on a personal and community level. I am delighted that so many financial professionals took the opportunity to do just that. Whichever industry you work in, it is vital that we come together to ensure a greener, more sustainable future for all.”
