Trees to be planted in memory of Isla Tansey

FIVE trees will be planted at Hinckley Parks Primary School both in memory of a pupil who died of cancer and to mark the Queen’s service to the Commonwealth.

Diane Hardy from Hinckley applied for the trees during a giveaway promoted jointly by the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV. The giveaway is to create the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of global forest initiatives marking the Queen’s commitment to the Commonwealth.

Diane saw documentary The Queen’s Green Planet on ITV about the initiative and successfully applied for a pack of five free trees. She will be handing them to Hinckley Parks Primary School in Leicester Road to plant in memory of Isla Tansey, a pupil who died of cancer at the age of just seven.

Diane said: “When I applied for the trees the school had just been taken over by a new management team and the trees growing with the new school seemed like a good idea. Since then, Isla has lost her short fight against cancer.

“The trees will therefore be planted in her memory, nurtured by the children, and will hopefully one day provide a shady place to sit and reflect. Isla has touched the lives of so many people, not just at the school where her brother Harrison is in his last year and her father Simon is a teaching assistant, but also the local community and worldwide through her rock painting group on Facebook #islastones.”

Isla’s mum Katherine added: “It was really kind of Di to think of Isla as part of this project. Isla would have loved the fact they are the Queen’s trees. It’s a lasting legacy for her and I’m sure the school will find a beautiful spot for them.”

There will be 4,000 packs of trees planted around the country, 167 of them in Leicestershire.

Woodland Trust Chief Executive Beccy Speight said: “We were thrilled when the packs were snapped up so quickly by ITV viewers. It’s testament to the high regard in which people hold both Her Majesty and trees. We’ve loved hearing the reasons people want to be part of this project and are honoured to be playing our part in extending the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. Trees do so much for us. They improve soil health and water quality, reduce carbon, slow the flow of flood water, trap pollutants, shelter livestock, provide a home for wildlife and a space for us to breathe and reflect. I hope those who will be planting them next week will enjoy watching them flourish as part of this wonderful legacy initiative.”