Television’s celebrity interior designer and presenter Julia Kendell has helped children in London’s East End add a touch of green to their school by planting a fun new willow-tepee in the playground.

East London Advertiser: TV's Julia Kendell helps plant willow tepee at St Paul's Whitechapel school with Trees for Cities volunteersTV's Julia Kendell helps plant willow tepee at St Paul's Whitechapel school with Trees for Cities volunteers (Image: St Paul's Whitechapel)

Julia, who presents BBC TV’s DIY SOS and 60 Minute Makeover, has joined a schools project by Trees for Cities charity to improve the inner cirty urban environment.

She turned up at St Paul’s Whitechapel C of E Primary in Wellclose Square to help plant a willow tepee and put in a garden stove in the playground.

“It is great helping the children,” she said. “They have an opportunity to see first-hand the work that Trees for Cities is doing to make inner cities more beautiful.”

East London Advertiser: TV's Julia Kendell helps plant willow tepee at St Paul's Whitechapel school with Trees for Cities volunteersTV's Julia Kendell helps plant willow tepee at St Paul's Whitechapel school with Trees for Cities volunteers (Image: St Paul's Whitechapel)

Julia joined the youngsters to help plant the willows and install the wood-burning stove which has three functions for the outdoor space, a garden table and fire-pit as well as a cooking grill.

Her team helped the pupils plan, dig and plant the willow-tepee — then joined them for some healthy food cooked on the stove after the “sixty minute makeover”.

The charity got a sponsorship deal from Stovey environmental garden stove makers for the project, aimed at giving children first-hand experience of planting and growing trees, while improving school playgrounds to encourage children to learn about “the importance of trees” and their lifecycle.