Aberdeen City Lord Provost, Councillor Barney Crockett, and Aberdeenshire Lord Lieutenant, Sandy Manson DL came together to help plant the first of 1952 trees the charity is establishing across its facilities and a new Queen Elizabeth woodland area at Easter Anguston Farm as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.

Cllr Crockett, and the Lord Lieutenant were joined by the Chief Executive of Aberdeen social care charity VSA, Dr Kenneth Simpson, for this important commemoration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Her Majesty has been the charity’s Patron since she ascended the throne in 1952.

Among those helping with the planting of the first tree at the charity’s Easter Anguston Farm at Peterculter on the outskirts of the city, will be some of the farm’s incredible workers. The farm is an educational training facility supporting adults with learning difficulties and helping them gain important work experience.

Also helping will be children from the nearby Linn Moor School, VSA’s residential facility that provides a nurturing, warm and aspirational learning environment for young people living with moderate to profound additional support and behavioural needs.

Dr Simpson said: “The Queen has been an amazing servant to the people of the UK, and the wider Commonwealth nations, for an incredible 70 years. As Her Majesty has been an active Patron of VSA for that astonishing seven decades, it is important for us to mark that milestone with a tribute that will be with us, hopefully, for hundreds of years to come.”

Among the trees being planted across the VSA facilities – from the school and farm to residential care homes and beyond – are alder, downy birch and rowen.

Lord Lieutenant, Sandy Manson DL said: “I’m truly delighted to see that Her Majesty’s remarkable reign is being celebrated in this way by a charity that Queen Elizabeth has supported since she ascended the throne.

“The Diamond Jubilee, coupled with VSA’s 150th anniversary, are tremendous achievements and I’m delighted to play my part in marking these historic milestones with such a wonderful project."

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.”

Everyone from individuals to Scout and Girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates will be encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees during the official planting season between October to March. Tree planting will commence again in October 2022, through to the end of the Jubilee year.

With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.

As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

VSA has been caring for the people of Aberdeen for 150 years, and during this time has supported generations of your families through two world wars, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the Aberdeen Typhoid outbreak.