Halton charity replants trees in peace garden
Trees, removed from an area of Runcorn as part of the preparation work for the Mersey Gateway Project, are being reused by a local charity.
(L-R) Kelly Waring and Terri Kearney from Nightstop Communities North West replanted trees in St Paul’s peace garden with help from Merseylink’s Mark Welsby
Homeless charity, Nightstop Communities Northwest, has replanted approximately 20 young trees, which were removed from the Hallwood Park area of Runcorn as part of essential clearance work for the bridge project.
The charity, which provides emergency accommodation for homeless young people aged 16 to 25, has replanted the saplings in the peace garden it shares with St Paul’s Church in Widnes. The garden provides a peaceful haven for the local community and is looked after by a group of volunteers.
Terri Kearney, chief executive of Nightstop Communities Northwest, contacted Halton Borough Council and Merseylink to ask if the charity could reuse any of the trees or shrubs being removed.
Keen to assist, the Merseylink project team supplied four workmen to help identify suitable trees, then carefully removed the saplings and transported them to the peace garden.
Terri said: “Nightstop Communities Northwest is greatly appreciative of the support from Halton Borough Council and Merseylink in making this happen. We use the peace garden to support individuals and community groups in mental health, wellbeing and wellness, as well as the wider community, so it’s great that partnership working in this way can benefit everyone.”
Halton Borough Council Leader, Rob Polhill, said: “It’s good to see that a local charity has been able to reuse the trees in this way. While some trees do need to be removed to allow construction work to go ahead, many more will be replanted along the project route and in other areas of the borough, so there will be no reduction in the overall number of trees we have in Halton.
Hugh O’Connor, General Manager at Merseylink, said: “We are looking for inventive ways to reuse the trees and vegetation that have to be removed as part of our clearance programme. So far we have fed wildlife at Knowsley Safari Park and sent chippings to be recycled into chipboard and also turned into biofuel. Terri’s project is yet another great way for us to manage the clearance in a sustainable way and help the local community too.”
Where appropriate, new trees and vegetation will be planted along the project route as part of the Mersey Gateway landscaping scheme. In addition to this, the Mersey Gateway Environmental Trust is looking to replant an equivalent area of woodland elsewhere in Halton to ensure there is no reduction in the overall number of trees in the area.
Residents who have queries about the tree-felling programme are advised to contact Merseylink on info@merseylink.com or look at the Down Your Street maps at www.merseygateway.co.uk
