Mansfield school students plant trees to support hospital trust's climate initiative

The project, aimed at drawing a link between health and the environment, will see trees planted at King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals – as well as schools and colleges throughout Nottinghamshire.

Lisa McVeigh, headteacher at he Mansfield academy, said: “During the past year, our staff and students and the wider community have faced the challenges of the pandemic with resilience, kindness and positivity. As an academy, we are well aware of the emotional and physical toll this has taken on the whole country.

"So, the symbolic planting of a tree, and the hope of future growth and life, directly reflects our ethos and values and is a message we wholeheartedly support.

"We hope the trees will stand as a reminder of the sacrifices made by individuals, by front line workers, and the outstanding response by NHS staff during the pandemic.”

Head boy, Kieran Walker, and head girl, Millie Johnson, helped plant the trees.

Millie said: “I think this is the perfect time to do this because during the lockdowns we have been isolated and felt separate from everyone, and to have the ties between the different schools and hospitals planting the trees feels like a connection, bringing us together.

“In years to come, the trees will always remind us of these times, as a symbol of hope.”

Kieran said: “We wanted to do this to symbolise how hard we have worked as a community, and as a school.”