Brinsbury branches out for the Queen’s Jubilee

The saplings were donated by the Woodland Trust, with horticulture students at Brinsbury College preparing and designing an area of woodland which will provide a tranquil space for students and staff to enjoy over the years to come.

The aim of the Queen’s Green Canopy campaign is to thank Her Majesty The Queen for her exceptional service of 70 years on the throne, as well as promoting the importance of tree planting and tree conservation.

Sally Challis-Manning, principal at Brinsbury College, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be creating a woodland area that will be enjoyed by generations of students to come.

“This is a wonderful way of celebrating Her Majesty’s service to the nation, and it is an honour for us to be able to play our own part in this.

“The planting has only just started for us, and our students across the college will be joining in over the next couple of weeks to complete planting these saplings which will be cared for by our horticulture students as they grow.

“I hope more people will get involved by planting their own trees in places which are special to them.”

Oliver Hobbs, a level 1 horticulture student, helped to prepare the area and was among the first to plant a sapling at the special ceremony on Thursday, November 25.

Oliver said: “It was a lot of hard work, a lot of teamwork but it was really good. I enjoyed it and we’re all quite proud of our work because we’ve all done it together.

“I’m just glad that I had this chance, I can’t wait to see my tree grow with the others and know that I’ve been a part of this.”

The students were joined by Dr John Godfrey DL and Carole Hayward DL, members of the Lord Lieutenant’s Queen’s Green Canopy Team, who are helping to raise awareness of this royal initiative in West Sussex.

Dr Godfrey, who chairs the Queen’s Green Canopy team, said: “We congratulate Brinsbury College and its students for being among the first in the county to play such a significant part in the campaign – it creates a wonderful learning legacy for West Sussex and a powerful tribute to Her Majesty.

“We hope that many others, whether as a community or as keen gardeners in their own homes, will follow suit and ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.”

Architectural Plants, a specialist horticultural nursery in Pulborough, donated two special hornbeam trees which – as they mature – will form an arch over a pathway into the heart of the new woodland area.

Jay Osman, head of development at Architectural Plants, said: “This is a wonderful project and we are only too happy to support it. Being close neighbours to Brinsbury College, we look forward to seeing the trees and the students who planted them flourish over the coming years.”