A volunteer-led group from Macclesfield has donated trees to a local primary school.

Macclesfield Community Tree Nursery has started a seven year project with Bollinbrook Primary School.

Some of their youngest students will receive a tree planted in their name, and can watch it grow as they progress through the school years.

Bollinbrook Primary School Teaching Assistant Eva Robinshaw is elated with the project.

The project is called 'My Tree Grows With Me'. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

"Our Key Stage 1 students are delighted to have received the trees from Macclesfield Community Tree Nursery," said Eva.

"We are so grateful for the donation.

"And this is just the start of it, the aim is for the whole rest of the school to get them as well. 

"Eventually every kid in the school will have one."

Elizabeth, Eliza, Franklin, Dottie and Oscar receive their saplings. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

Close to 50 young saplings have been donated so far.

Macclesfield Community Tree Nursery's Paul McCandless explained how it works: "The jist of it is that children starting primary school are given young trees when they start school," said Paul.

"They will grow those trees in school until they leave, seven years later. 

"When they leave they take the tree with them with the aim to get it planted. 

The Church of England school prides itself on fostering a strong relationship between their children and Mother Nature. (Image - Macclesfield Nub News)

"If they have nowhere to plant it, we arrange for that to be done on their behalf.

Trees donated include birch, wild pear, and Indian bean trees.

Rare trees like spindle, Indian bean and elm also make up the mix.

Other varieties include Rowan, and soon to be Devon whitebeam, which should be included in the next batch of sapling donations.

Elm trees can grow up to 98 feet tall, they used to be abundant in the UK but now there are not as many. They attract Whiter Litter Hairstreak butterflies, and provide a home for them. (Image - CC 3.0 Ptelea Unchanged https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Coker_elm,_2.jpg)

"It doesn't just stop here, because we are going to have a long-term relationship working with Macclesfield Community Tree Nursery," added Eva.

"Paul wants to take care of them, with a growing scheme over the whole seven years. 

"So it is lovely to have that connection with the community side of things."

Bollinbrook pupils have a close relationship with nature. Children get to spend time outdoors doing what they want, and they have even helped plant trees outside their school grounds as reported in this March 2023 Macclesfield Nub News article.

Bollinbrook Primary School of Abbey Road. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

The school - which has 161 pupils - also recently installed a new outdoor pond thanks to a grant from the Co-op.

For more information about Macclesfield Community Tree Nursery, please click HERE.

See Also: Macclesfield business All Things Nice celebrates first birthday

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