The Mayor of Blyth, councillors and members of the public put on their wellington boots and grabbed a spade to help make Blyth a greener town at this year’s community tree planting day.
The Mayor of Blyth Town Council, Councillor Margaret Richardson was joined by many eco friendly residents to plant more than 1200 trees in an area adjacent to Meggies Burn. Funding for the planting came from the Northumberland County Council’s Local Authority Treescape Fund which aims to increase tree planting and natural regeneration in non-woodland areas.
Mayor of Blyth Town Council, Councillor Margaret Richardson said: “Blyth Town Council are committed to making Blyth a greener town following the pandemic. We all realised the value of open spaces and nature during that time and it’s so important that we plant new trees as they have a whole host of other benefits for our environment. They also help to reduce carbon levels in our atmosphere, offer flood protection and create wildlife corridors with natural habitats.
“I’m delighted that volunteers have given up some of their day to help plant the trees and we will continue to hold community planting events in the future. It may seem insignificant now seeing the small whips being individually planted, but in years to come, they will help us in the fight against climate change and boost our resilence for our mental health. Blyth is a great town and planting more trees makes it even better for everyone.”
Eleven species of tree were planted ranging from bushes of Hawthorn and Holly to more substantial trees such as Scots Pine and English Oak. Instruction on planting was given to the volunteers who turned up by Northumberland County Council and everyone was supplied with protective gloves and spades.
One volunteer who helped was 19 year old Kennedy Matthews from Blyth. Kennedy is currently Miss Newcastle Atlantic and she is competing for the title of Miss United Kingdom next month. As part of the process, Kenndy has been working within the Blyth community on projects such as litter picking. She has also raised more than £300 for the MIND charity.The tree planting opportunity also gave her additional experience and evidence for her forthcoming competition.
“It’s really important to help keep our environment green for the benefit of our future generations,” she said.
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Photos All by Highlights PR
- Tree planters l to r Cllr Anna Watson, Jason Russell, Kennedy Matthews, Mayor of Blyth Town Council, Councillor Margaret Richardson, Cllr Kath Nisbet, Cllr John Potts and Kirsten Johnson
- Two year old Ruby plants a tree with the Mayor
- Kennedy Matthews with the Mayor
Media Information Keith Newman Highlights PR Keith@highlightspr.co.uk 07814 397951