Tree boost for Lichfield Canal Trust
A LICHFIELD group whose national organisation celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022 is marking the occasion by donating £1 for each of its 680 members to the city’s canal trust’s tree fund.
Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust will benefit from the generosity of the local branch of u3a, which is a UK-wide movement of locally run interest groups providing learning and leisure activities for retired people.
Local branch chairman Judith Thorpe explained: “We were looking for a lasting way to celebrate the u3a’s 40th birthday and so when we heard that the canal trust was hoping to plant trees along the Lichfield spur of the canal, we offered to help.
“We have 680 local members and when we asked them if they agreed to us contributing to the trust’s tree fund they agreed – so we seized the opportunity to plant now.
“By the time the official birthday comes around the trees should be well established and everyone’s experience of walking along the canal paths should be even better.”
Peter Buck, LHCRT engineering director, said: “We are very grateful for Lichfield u3a’s generous donation. As well as the extensive restoration of the Heritage Towpath Trail and canal across Lichfield, this generous donation of trees by u3a is the first key restoration activity on a new section of the Lichfield Canal along
Falkland Road.
“This not only helps to secure the roadside boundary but also meets the trust’s objectives to provide a green corridor, an environmental enhancement to wildlife and biodiversity and an amenity for the people of Lichfield to enjoy for many years to come.”
For more information about Lichfield u3a, visit https://u3asites.org.uk/lichfield/ welcome, and to find out more about Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust, visit https://lhcrt.org.uk/