To honour the date which would have been the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday, a Dukinfield school was chosen to plant a royal oak tree.
On June 10, All Saints Catholic College invited distinguished guests and students working toward their Duke of Edinburgh (DoE) award to attend the ceremony in their memorial garden.
DoE Manager at the school, Zoe Kellett, organised the event, inviting speeches from Headteacher Mr Gus Diamond, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Sharman Birtles and Cllr Janet Cooper.
Father Oliver then blessed the tree and read a prayer for Prince Philip.
Following on from the speakers, guests scattered snowdrop and bluebell seeds at the base of the tree, before Year 11 students placed the last of the soil over the commemorative oak.
One student, Maisie, added: “I’ve had lots of fun working toward my DoE award and the chance to try so many new things, like kayaking, volunteering and map-reading, but the best part has to be doing it all with friends.”
In Tameside, almost 27,000 young people have taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh award, which Prince Philip founded in 1956.
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Zoe Kellett added: “Lots of kids don’t have the opportunity to get out into the country, so in my role, I get to take them out of their comfort zone so they can have different experiences.
“It’s also a great way for the students to make friends and mix with people they usually wouldn’t interact with, while building their self-esteem and confidence.
“I’m so excited to be able to recognise the children’s achievements through this special event, because it really is all about them.”
Similar events took place nationwide, with one oak planted in each of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs. Not only will the trees stand as a living legacy of Prince Philip’s achievements, but a new fund has been set up to help one million young people achieve their Duke of Edinburgh award.
Images by Nigel Wood
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