Children from Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School in Ely have planted the city’s first Platinum Jubilee celebration tree.

The tree is one of 70 gifted to schools across the country as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) initiative.

Said initiative was created to recognise Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, which is set to take place next year. Though schools form the centrepiece of the scheme, individuals across Britain are being urged to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee.’

Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire, Lady De Ramsey, Mayor of Ely, Cllr Sue Austen and Vice Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cllr Sebastian Kindersley were present at the planting ceremony.

They joined teachers and pupils from the school to celebrate the planting of the Betula ermanii tree. Six pupils followed the tree planting by giving a short speech on the importance of trees and plants, reflecting on the importance of spending time outdoors and becoming familiar with nature.

To top it all off, the children then performed a song about trees, raising plenty of smiles from those in attendance.

Lady De Ramsey, Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire, said: “I am delighted to be representing the Lord Lieutenant and planting a tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy.

“It is especially exciting that schools have got involved in this wonderful initiative that will leave a legacy for the benefit of the community.”

Headteacher Annette Blewett said: “At Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School we are very fortunate, excited and extremely privileged to have been selected to receive a special tree to plant in our school environment.

“Each child at Spring Meadow will learn even more about the importance of trees and the positive impact they have on our climate. We have a wonderful forest school area, which provides fantastic opportunities to explore and learn from as the seasons change.

“The children were very excited to meet some very important people who joined us to celebrate this special event.”