Tree planting to commemorate Mayor’s year in office

An English Oak tree has been planted to honour Councillor Jude Deakin’s time as Mayor of Chelmsford.

Councillor Jude Deakin is serving her second term as Mayor, having also performed the role in 2020-21. Her first term as Mayor was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. She was re-elected to give her more opportunities to perform her mayoral duties.

The Mayor’s chaplain, Father Tom Page from Church of Ascension with All Saints, opened the ceremony with a prayer.

In her welcoming speech, Councillor Smita Rajesh, Cabinet Deputy for Community Safety, explained,

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“The majestic oak supports an entire ecosystem, including nesting birds, bats, insects, fungi and lichen, offering a habitat for over 200 other native species. When open-grown, a large spreading canopy will develop as the tree matures. Although sometimes assumed to be slow, once established, Oaks are capable of reaching 50 feet in their first 50 years.”

Cllr Smita Rajesh, Cabinet Deputy for Community Safety

The tree was also planted as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) initiative to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. The QGC initiative aims to create a legacy in honour of the Queen’s remarkable leadership of the nation. This is the first of many more trees to be planted in Chelmsford as part of the QGC initiative.

If you wish to plant a tree in your garden to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee, please visit https://queensgreencanopy.org/get-involved/individuals/