CHILDREN from Crosshill school in Blackburn have planted 30 trees in Corporation Park.

They were donated to the school by The Woodland Trust. The group of key stage three and four students at the special school struggle with reading and writing,and so learn by taking part in hands-on activities.

Teacher Jane Harrison applied for the trees from The Woodland Trust, which agreed to send 30 saplings.

The Trust sends out free trees to schools and community groups across the UK every March and November, to coincide with tree-planting season.

School staff approached local parks, and staff at Corporation Park agreed to let the pupils plant the trees there.

The traditional Victorian park is registered by English Heritage as a park and garden of special historic interest.

It has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award for its upkeep, the national standard for parks and green spaces.

Jane Harrison said: “The Woodland Trust sent a leaflet out to school and I applied for them back in the Spring.

“The group of children that we teach are at such a level that we do a lot of hands-on stuff, a lot of growing and planting. We do a lot of things practically.

“We do a lot of growing in school that we then harvest and use for cooking in school, it’s great for them.

“Part of their science target is to look after a plant and observe trees changing colour in different seasons.

“On a Tuesday we regularly go out and look at trees and wildlife.

“Corporation Park kindly let us plant the trees there, so that we can carry on visiting to see how they grow.

“The children are hand-on learners and they really enjoyed it.”

The Woodland Trust has planted thousands of woods and millions of trees over the past four decades, working with people, partners and organisations across the UK.

The green-fingered charity was founded in Devon, in 1972 by a retired farmer and agricultural machinery dealer called Kenneth Watkins.