Creating a memorial for a loved one, either as a plaque on a park bench, or by planting a tree for them, leaves a lasting legacy.
Memorial and tree sponsorship
What better way to celebrate the life of a loved one lost, than with a living tree that will grace one of Bedford’s beautiful parks for decades to come.
We supply commemorative and celebration trees which are three to four metres tall with a well-developed head of branches through our partnership with Trees for Streets.
Please visit our scheme on Trees for Streets to fill in a request.
Over the last few years we have been increasing the number of trees planted in the town and have been working hard to get more trees in your streets and parks. Our new partnership with Trees for Streets helps you to get involved too.
Trees for streets is a national tree sponsorship scheme that makes it easy for you to donate and care for trees in your neighbourhood.
You can sponsor a tree on your road or a celebration tree in a park to mark a birth, commemorate a death or other notable event in your life. They also make a great gift for a friend or loved one.
Neighbours or friends can join together to get community trees planted in your area and help improve your environment.
Why sponsor a tree?
Trees provide many benefits to us, they help improve our health, economy, environment and communities. We all benefit from our trees and can help to protect, plant and manage them.
By sponsoring a street tree, you’ll be helping to:
- Fight climate change
- Reduce noise and air pollution
- Improve the mental and physical health of everyone in your neighbourhood
- Leave a legacy for later generations
- Create a haven for wildlife
- Make your street a nicer place to live
- Reduce extreme heat
Benches
If you decide to dedicate a bench within a council park or green space, this can either be in the form of a new cast bronze plaque fitted onto an existing bench, or a completely new bench (subject to location).
The parks in which dedications can be located include:
- Bedford Park
- The Embankment
- Mowsbury Park
- Russell Park
- Priory Country Park
They remain in place for 15 years.
Please note that memorial bench requests are paused between 15 April - 1 August 2024.
You can apply for a bench dedication from 1 August 2024 by completing our commemorative benches applications form (PDF).