Living Jubilee legacy blooming in Belfast

12 June 2012

Belfast`s Lord Mayor, Alderman Gavin Robinson, has joined people across the city to plant living memories of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth ll.

Large Quercus robur (oaks) were planted by the Lord Mayor in parks in north, south, east and west Belfast, with smaller oak trees available in pots for guests to take away and plant their own memento.

The plantings began in Orangefield Park this morning with an afternoon planting at 2pm in Blythefield Park. On Thursday, 14 June the plantings will take place at Glencairn Park at 10am and Grove Park at 2pm.

“This is a legacy that will last. Oak trees are symbols of strength and longevity as well as being beautiful trees that will contribute to the environment,” said the Lord Mayor.

“Many of those attending the planting ceremonies with me will be children and in the years ahead we want them to have a living memory of this event and the reasons behind it.

“By providing small trees for them to take back to home or school we want them to have something that will grow with them and that they can point to in the years ahead and say `That`s from when I celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth ll`.

“The Diamond Jubilee has been a wonderful event for many thousands of people not just here in Belfast but beyond. It is a time to take stock, to look back at what has been achieved but turn our eyes forward to the future as well,” added the Alderman.

“My wish during my year in office is to remind people how great Belfast can be, especially when we work together to achieve our aims. I want to see the city boosted by jobs, projects, new ideas and most importantly by action. I am asking everyone to join me in that aim so that we can make Belfast even better in the future.”

One of the aims of the Diamond Jubilee is to plant new trees and help create new woodland areas in towns and cities across the country. Orangefield Park in east Belfast will become a Queen Elizabeth II Field, having been successfully nominated as a Field in Trust (FIT) for the Diamond Jubilee.

ENDS

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