Risedale School pupils, staff and guests have planted a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative in celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
The scheme is a tree-planting project invites people from across the UK to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’.
The ceremony took place in the school’s wellbeing garden where headteacher Colin Scott and chair of governors John Glahome were joined by the Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, David Kerfoot CBE DL, service children’s advocate, Helen Porritt and Risedale pupils.
Colin Scott said: “It was an honour to have the Deputy Lieutenant join us for this auspicious occasion.
“It’s wonderful that we’ve been able to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by planting a tree in our school wellbeing garden.
“Our pupils and staff have been working so hard on making this garden a truly positive and beneficial space for the whole Risedale Family.”
David Kerfoot said, “It was a great pleasure to visit the school and to take part in the tree-planting ceremony for the Platinum Jubilee.
“The passion, enthusiasm and commitment the children have given to the project is very impressive.”
In March, Risedale received 30 sapling trees and 200 hedging plants from the Woodland Trust which is donating free trees for schools and communities to support the QGC and help boost tree planting across the UK.
The Woodland Trust is supplying over three million saplings creating a green legacy in honour of the Queen’s service.
Risedale’s tree-planting ceremony was organised by Service Children’s Advocate, Helen Porritt, who has been working on the school’s wellbeing garden alongside gardener and grounds person, Neil Griffith, Ewan Thomson and numerous pupils, as part of the Festival of Friends project.
Helen Porritt said: “I am delighted that we’ve managed to complete phase 2 of our project with the help of the generous donation of trees and saplings from the Woodland Trust.
“The pupils have worked really hard to make a garden that will encourage wildlife and create a space that can be used by our school community to relax and enjoy the fresh air as well as learn about ecology and sustainability.
“It seems fitting that the tree to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be situated in our wellbeing garden.”
Year 8 pupil Callum Sankey said: “I’ve really enjoyed being part of the gardening team and am looking forward to seeing how the garden grows and develops.
“The tree-planting ceremony was very exciting, I had a great time.”
