A special ceremony has been held to plant trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy at Skylark Rehabilitation Unit in Yate.
The initiative commemorates 70 years since The Queen’s ascension to the throne, and invites people from across the country to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.”
The unit supports people who are medically well to leave hospital but need additional rehabilitation before returning home following a hospital stay, as well as short-term support for people struggling in their own homes due to a reduction in mobility. The saplings donated by NHS Forests, which included Silver Birch, Crab Apple, White Willow and Mountain Ash, were planted at a special event and now take pride of place in the site’s garden.
The planting of the trees form part of the wider work of local NHS organisations to improve sustainability and the commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Energy & Sustainability Lead Kelly Scott said:
“We’re delighted to receive these trees and plant them as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. Not only will they help create a wonderful outdoor space for the people in our care and our staff to enjoy, but the initiative also aligns perfectly with our Green Plan and sustainability objectives.
“Creating sustainable health and care services is a top priority for us. As part of our commitment to improving sustainability we have already made a number of improvements such as expanding recycling across the organisation, promoting a cycle to work scheme, stopping the procurement of single use plastics where possible and taking part in a trial using an electric van for delivering protective equipment to staff.”
Chair Amanda Cheesley added: “We are also working with our hospital partners and Local Authority colleagues within Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to create and implement a Green Plan for the area. This will help us to make changes and take steps in line with the NHS commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.”
Director of Finance and Net Zero Lead Clive Bassett said:
“The trees will be great addition to the garden and we’re extremely grateful to the NHS Forests for providing these. They help mark the start of our ambitious plan to improve the sustainability of NHS services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
“The vision is for our organisation is to drive the green agenda leading change and sustainability, and we look forward to working collaboratively with our NHS and local authority partners to achieve this.”
Attendees from the event also included the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Susie Hewson, senior clinicians from Skylark Rehabilitation Unit and the unit gardener Nigel Jones, who will now be responsible for making sure the new trees receive the care and attention they need.
