Local charities work together to plant 600 new trees

Date published: 30 November 2011

Last weekend saw local charities join forces to plant 600 new trees at the Giant’s Seat Scout and Community Camp Site in Radcliffe.

Volunteers from Radcliffe Scouts, Rotary Club of Radcliffe and Radcliffe Guides were shown how to correctly plant the trees by Red Rose Forest – Greater Manchester’s Community Forest – before continuing through the weekend.

The trees are been planted during National Tree Week as part of the Government’s Big Tree Plant, which aims to plant 1 million trees in UK towns and cities over the next four years. Red Rose Forest is working in partnership with the Woodland Trust to deliver the native woodland planting project, with the Woodland Trust supplying the trees and appropriate guards.

Giant’s Seat campsite is ran by Radcliffe District Scouts for use by community, youth and other groups. It benefits from 54 acres of English woodland and is just minutes away from Radcliffe, Whitefield and Bolton.

Explorer Scout Daniel Perkins, 15, said: “I’ve grown up using this campsite. It’s great to be able to give something back for the community to enjoy.”

Cub Scout Robbie Woolford, 9, said: “It’s been really fun. I just wish we could have stayed longer.”

The event started early, with groups arriving from 9am on the Saturday, taking a couple of hours each throughout the day, with the Scouts providing hot snacks and drinks.

Jack Heathcote, of Rotary Club of Radcliffe, said: “The tree planting was a fantastic community effort to benefit the people of Radcliffe.”

Vicky King, of Red Rose Forest, said: “The groups were lovely to work with. I can’t believe how hard they worked and how fast they planted the trees!”

The tree planting will be finished this weekend by the Radcliffe Scouts and Radcliffe Guides.