Ever thought about commemorating a special event in a special way, dedicating a unique memorial to a loved one or leaving a living legacy at a place you love?
Lancaster City Council has launched a tree sponsorship scheme which offers just that opportunity – and helps to make our district greener too.
Back in 2000 the Tostevin family from Conder Green near Lancaster, planted a tree in Greaves Park to mark the birth of their son Edward, through a government sponsored scheme to mark the millennium. Recently that tree came to the end of its life and the family decided to pay for a replacement and asked the city council to plant one for them.
Edward’s father Patrick Tostevin, said: “We loved the idea of planting a tree to mark Edward’s birth. The idea of watching a tree grow and mature along with Edward really appealed to us, and it’s also nice to think that the tree will be there long after we’ve all gone – it’s a way of leaving our mark on the place we’ve grown up in."
This opportunity has now been made available to everyone across the district, and beyond.
Trees can be sponsored by individuals, families, groups of friends, community groups, schools, businesses, and can be sponsored as a green gift, a memorial to a loved one, to celebrate a special occasion, or just for the joy of watching it grow!
Through the scheme, anybody can sponsor the planting of a new tree of their choice in either Ryelands Park, Greaves Park or Happy Mount Park. Some parish councils are also taking part in the scheme so that trees can be planted elsewhere in the district.
New trees can be sponsored for £150 each, which covers the cost of purchasing the tree, planting and the maintenance required whilst the tree becomes established. If the tree fails within the first five years, a replacement will be planted free of charge.
Trees will be planted between the end of November and the beginning of March each year.
