ROOTED: St Neots in Bloom has played its small part in an ambitious scheme to plant 100,000 new trees in England by the end of the month.

The target has been set by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) which has been given out free tree packs to groups across the country.

St Neots in Bloom was successfully in its bid and was give 50 young, native, trees (silver birch, rowan, wild cherry, ash and oak) by BTCV earlier in the year, as part of the national Big Tree Plant.

During February, schools and nature reserves were invited to help members of St Neots in Bloom with the tree planting.

Students from five schools (Samuel Pepys, St Mary’s CofE, Priory Park Infants, Winhills Primary and Bushmead Primary) have now planted trees and a wild cherry tree will soon be planted at Sudbury Meadow.

The majority of the remaining trees have gone to Barford Road Pocket Park, where volunteers from newly formed Friends of Barford Road Pocket Park held a grand tree planting session under the guidance of Huntingdonshire District Council’s countryside services ranger, Matt Hall.

Alison Pearson, chairman of St Neots in Bloom, said: “We are delighted to have played a small part in the ‘Big Tree Plant’ with the help of BTCV. We shall enjoy watching the trees grow over the coming years and hope that the oaks in particular will still be around in a few hundred years time.”

INFORMATION: To find out more about St Neots in Bloom contact Alison Pearson on 01480 374792. For details of Friends of Barford Road Pocket Park contact Matt Hall by email: paxtonpits@btconnect.com.