Children from a Blackburn primary school have been presented with a Young Forestry Award and commemorative coins recognising their Jubilee tree planting efforts.

The Year 4 class from Roe Lee Park Primary School were delighted to see not only the new Blackburn with Darwen Mayor, Councillor Suleman Khonat; but also former Mayor, Councillor Derek Hardman and the Queen’s representative for Lancashire, Deputy Lord-Lieutenant Ralph Assheton.

The dignitaries were there to thank the children for attending a tree planting session in November – playing their part in helping plant 420 trees for the Green Canopy – a project for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The Woodland Trust, who kindly donated the trees, wanted to say thank you and present the children with a Young Forestry Award and a commemorative Jubilee coin.

More than 50 coins were awarded to pupils at the special assembly with only 7,000 in circulation.

Lancashire Telegraph:

After the event, Councillor Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "Thank you so much to all the children at Roe Lee Park Primary School for planting the trees in November.

"It was great fun to be a part of it and it was lovely to help today in presenting a commemorative Jubilee coin to all those who took part.

"They not only helped towards the Green Canopy to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but also the borough’s target of planting more trees."

The Queen’s Green Canopy was a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. QGC invited people from across the UK to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.’

Everyone from individuals to scout and girlguiding groups, schools and businesses were encouraged to play their part to enhance the environment by planting trees between October and March.

Jason Walker, Chairman of the Friends of Roe Lee Park, added: "With every tree sapling planted we’ve all helped towards creating a Green Canopy to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

"We’d like to thank the Woodland Trust and the Queen’s Green Canopy in rewarding our group and the school.

"They played a really important part in the tree planting and we look forward to working with them again in the future."

Tree planting will commence again in October 2022, through to the end of the Jubilee year.

As part of the council’s climate change action plan, it is looking to plant 10,000 new trees in the borough over the next year.

Anyone would like to get involved or help achieve this target is asked to contact the council.