A NATIONAL care home group with two locations in Wiltshire has embarked on carbon neutral drive to plant a tree for every one of its 800-plus residents.

The Windsor-based Porthaven group owns care homes at Wiltshire Heights in Bradford on Avon and Savernake View in Marlborough and has just opened one at Upton Mill in Tetbury.

Bradford on Avon Rotary Club president Steve Adams planted a tree at Wiltshire Heights on Friday as part of the group's campaign to help save the planet.

Mr Adams, who was accompanied by Rotarian Julian Long, said: "It is an honour to be asked to help plant this tree and to do our bit to help reduce carbon emissions."

The Rudolph crab apple is a popular favourite pink flowering crab apple. The small tree is upright when young, but develops a rounded crown with maturity, reaching up to seven metres in height.

Porthaven has embarked on a campaign to reduce carbon emissions and has plans to plant more than 800 trees across the UK for every one of its residents.

Wiltshire Heights' client services manager Jaspreet Kaur said: "We are supporting a willow tree planting project in the Lake District by planting 800 trees, one for every Porthaven resident, the effect of which renders us carbon neutral.

"We know many of our residents are very keen gardeners with plenty of expertise who are eager to get involved in this project.

"To celebrate this, we are planting a tree in our grounds with our lovely residents, keeping within the Covid guidelines outside, to mark the special occasion."

The short ceremony was watched by several residents, including Len Wilmot, Ena Turtell and Tony Moth, who played a key role in help the Scouts plant more than 8,000 trees at its camp in West Ashton.

Mr Moth said: "We are pleased it is there and very pleased with the colour and hope it will soon grow."

Porthaven is also supporting a green energy project on Sumatra in Indonesia called the Musi River Hydro.

Miss Kaur added: "This hydroelectricity plant on the island of Sumatra harnesses the flow of the Musi River creating clean energy for the island’s grid.

"In turn, this project has created jobs and upskilling opportunities in a traditionally agricultural society and has funded infrastructure improvements and a reforestation programme."