Trees from unique sculpture at Buckingham Palace are given to deserving West Sussex groups in the name of the late Queen

Four West Sussex groups have been chosen to receive a special tree from The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) Sculpture “Tree of Trees”, which stood tall outside Buckingham Palace as a message of hope, regeneration and optimism to the nation and the world as part of the Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations in June.
By Gary Shipton
Published 12th Oct 2022, 22:57 BST
Updated 18th Oct 2022, 19:33 BST
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Oak Grove College in Worthing, Petworth Community Gardens, Steyning for Trees, and Wellderness CIC project join more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.

The trees are being gifted evenly across the UK in proportion to the population, with each county receiving at least one tree. The Lord Lieutenant of each county, who are His Majesty The King’s personal representatives, have been championing the QGC locally and have selected the recipients of the special trees.

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The gift of a tree is a ‘thank you’ for all the valuable and tireless work that volunteers and individuals undertake for the benefit of their communities. It is a celebration of the diverse communities that come together for the benefit of all, often using the natural environment to improve health and wellbeing.

Petworth Community Gardens joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.Petworth Community Gardens joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.
Petworth Community Gardens joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.

Presented by the Lord Lieutenant of West Sussex Lady Emma Barnard, the special trees, gifted in a pot embossed with Her late Majesty’s cipher, will be planted at community ceremonies being planned this autumn and will become part of the living legacy in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, joining over a million trees already planted across the UK as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy.

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the QGC “Tree of Trees” sculpture sought to put the importance of trees at the heart of this historic milestone to celebrate Her late Majesty, who planted over 1,500 trees all over the world throughout her 70-year reign.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a UK-wide tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The QGC initiative has been extended to the end of the planting season in March 2023, to give people an opportunity to plant trees in memory of a much loved Monarch.

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Since the launch of the QGC programme many West Sussex organisations, including schools, community groups, landowners and local councils as well as individual householders, have already planted more than 40,000 new trees.

Steyning for Trees joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.Steyning for Trees joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.
Steyning for Trees joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.

With the help of local communities the Lieutenancy group in West Sussex, chaired by Dr John Godfrey DL, expects that the total target which they set of 70,000 newly planted trees by next March in the county will be met - 1,000 for each year of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 year reign.

So far the wide range of plantings include restored and new woodlands on farmland, new stretches of hedgerow and individual trees in schools, towns, farmland, parks and family gardens throughout the county.

In addition, Ebernoe Common local nature reserve, near Petworth, owned by the Sussex Wildlife Trust, has been recognised as one of 70 Ancient Woodlands of national importance, and the 16th-century hawthorn at Tilgate, Crawley and the Queen Elizabeth I sessile oak at Cowdray Park, Midhurst, have been recognised nationally as two of the 70 Ancient Trees.

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Lady Emma said: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was part of us all, held fast in the hearts of millions of people with the deepest respect, admiration and, above all, love.

Wellderness CIC project joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.Wellderness CIC project joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.
Wellderness CIC project joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.

“I can think of no better way for us to pay tribute to the memory of a much loved monarch than by planting and nurturing trees. They will create a legacy for generations in the future to enjoy, as well as help protect and enhance the environment.”

Oak Grove College students have already partnered with Worthing Golf Club to plant trees on the downland course for the QGC. This autumn they will be supporting the club to plant a new woodland - the Oak Grove Glade. Their “Tree of Trees” will be planted in an area of the school grounds used to teach pupils about horticulture, helping them to build vital skills for the future. Students organise a popular annual plant and vegetable sale through which the produce they grow helps raise vital funds for the school.

Petworth Community Garden was inspired in 2005 by a Garden Organic project, ‘Organic Food for All’. The idea was to offer an opportunity for local people to be able to learn to grow fresh free organic fruit and vegetables, and to take home a share of the harvest. A strong group of local volunteers was formed and with initial donations of pots, a pond, a greenhouse and seeds, the garden took shape.

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Steyning for Trees (SFT) is a community group formed in late 2019 to promote the planting of trees in Steyning to help fight climate change and for the beauty and wellbeing of the town. The aim is to get as many trees as possible planted in Steyning on both private and community land. Their main work includes funding and planting trees on street verges through a West Sussex County Council initiated scheme, with some 80 planned by the end of this year. They are also planting native hedges as wildlife corridors through Steyning.

Oak Grove College in Worthing joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.Oak Grove College in Worthing joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.
Oak Grove College in Worthing joins more than 300 organisations from across the UK who were recently announced by the QGC as recipients of these special trees in name of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Wellderness CIC is a non-profit, community interest company that brings people together in nature, for workshops, courses and events, all tailored to improve well-being, increase knowledge, skills and experiences, and raise awareness and encourage action to tackle environmental issues. Their strapline is: “Improving people’s lives through nature, improving nature through people.” Aside from Wild Heart Hill and Furzefield Campsite in Angmering, they have planted several hundred trees at The Field of Dreams, which is a Henfield based CIC that uses horses to improve people's emotional wellbeing.

Related topics:Elizabeth IITreesQueen