On Wednesday 10th June 2026, Ilford town centre welcomed the return of Ilford inGreen, a community environmental action day delivered by Ilford BID, bringing together businesses, colleges, community organisations and residents with a shared goal – making Ilford cleaner, greener and more welcoming for everyone.

This year’s event attracted an impressive 51 volunteers, representing organisations including Ageless Teenagers, Cineworld, Eduards Duthie Shamash Solicitors, Elizabeth Line, Exchange Ilford, HSBC, Kenson Highways, McDonald’s, Metro Bank, Mont Rose College, Nelson College London, PureGym, London Borough of Redbridge and local community members.

The day commenced with a team-building exercise designed to encourage collaboration and networking between participating organisations before volunteers dispersed across the town centre to undertake environmental improvement activities.

Working Together for a Greener Ilford

Supported by specialist landscaping teams from Blue Sky Landscaping, the cleansing team of the London Borough of Redbridge and Ilford BID officers, volunteers helped to:

  • Replant and weed 10 rain gardens 
  • Improve 4 large ceramic planters 
  • Plant 267 new plants 
  • Remove litter from key town centre locations 
  • Walked an average of 510,000 steps

Litter-picking teams covered:

  • High Road 
  • Clements Road 
  • Chadwick Road 
  • Oakfield Road 
  • Richmond Road 
  • A406 Underpass 
  • Ilford Hill 

The gardening teams focused on enhancing some of the town centre’s most visible green infrastructure, helping to improve biodiversity, visual appearance and environmental sustainability.

credits - Event Capture

Strong Support from Local Leaders

The event was attended by Councillor Jo Blackman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, and Councillor Saima Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and Advocating for Affordable Housing.

Both councillors participated in the activities alongside volunteers and delivered the opening and closing speeches.

Councillor Blackman praised the collective effort, commenting:

“This is a great example of what we can do when we come together as businesses and community members.”

Councillor Ahmed highlighted the wider impact of the initiative, stating:

“Together we make the town centre better and greener.”

Their participation reinforced the importance of partnership working in creating cleaner, safer and more attractive town centres.

credits - Event Capture

Businesses Making a Difference

One of the strengths of Ilford inGreen is the way it brings together organisations from different sectors to work side-by-side.

Whether planting flowers, removing weeds, collecting litter or supporting team activities, every volunteer played a role in improving the environment and demonstrating civic pride.

The involvement of businesses such as HSBC, Metro Bank, McDonald’s, Cineworld, PureGym, Kenson Highways, Eduards Duthie Shamash Solicitors, PureGym, and Exchange Ilford alongside local colleges such as Nelson College, Mont Rose College and community groups showcased the strong commitment that exists across Ilford to supporting the town centre.

credits - Event Capture

Building Partnerships Beyond the Event

Beyond the practical improvements delivered on the day, Ilford inGreen continues to provide valuable opportunities for networking, relationship building and community engagement. 

The London Borough of Redbridge team also delivered a station offering advice on composting.

Volunteers had the opportunity to meet new people, share experiences and strengthen links between businesses, educational institutions and community organisations operating within the town centre.

The event also highlights how relatively small actions, when undertaken collectively, can create a significant positive impact.

credits - Event Capture

Thank You

Ilford BID would like to thank every volunteer, organisation and partner that contributed to the success of Ilford inGreen 2026.

Together, participants helped improve public spaces, enhance biodiversity, remove litter and demonstrate the pride that businesses and communities have in Ilford town centre.

We look forward to welcoming even more volunteers in future inGreen events as we continue working together to create a cleaner, greener and more vibrant Ilford. 

Events Image

The full event video will be available shortly. Check out the full event images below.

https://clients.eventcapture.co.uk/ingreenilford

Enter password as written: IG2026

credits - Event Capture