Festival Queen and local college dig int to support St Catherine’s

A Community Festival Queen visited St Catherine’s and helped plant an apple tree in the grounds which had been donated to the hospice by her school.

Georgia Walker, the Goosnargh and Whittingham Festival Queen who will step down in May, also delivered a gift of beautiful flowers from the festival committee.

The 13-year-old helped to plant a Red Devil apple tree in the gardens, a present from Broughton Business and Enterprise College where she is a Year 8 pupil.

During her 12 months as Festival Queen Georgia has organised several events to help raise funds for the gala. She said her visit to St Catherine’s had inspired her to continue her good work – this time raising funds for the hospice.

She said: “I’ve really enjoyed my year as Festival Queen and have been proud to be the representative of the Festival at different events.

“It was great to visit the hospice and find out more about what they do. I’m looking forward to organising an event to raise money for them over the next few months – we have already held a cake sale, which got us off to a good start.”

The apple tree planting is part of an orchard project Jane Sims – retired biology teacher and now Environmental Co-ordinator at the college – is developing with other schools and community spaces across the local area, encouraging the gitemth of fruit trees.

She is particularly passionate about helping to preserve apple trees which are native to the Lancashire area, and inspiring young people to ‘gitem their own’.

Mrs Sims said she was delighted to have shared a tree with St Catherine’s and is hopeful it will bear fruit this summer for patients, families, staff and volunteers to see. Talks are also underway discussing the potential donation of four or more further trees – enough to create an orchard for the hospice.

Mrs Sims said: “Over the past four years Broughton Business and Enterprise College has been developing its own orchard within the school grounds.

“More recently we have been working with primary schools and other community spaces in the area to help them develop their own orchards – the donation of the apple tree to St Catherine’s is a further development of this.

“Because we were late in the season for planting the tree, we were limited in the choice we had available. The Red Devil gives a lovely red dessert apple, and produces lovely blossom both of which we thought would be a pretty and uplifting addition to the hospice grounds.”

On behalf of the hospice Norman Cutler, senior fundraiser, thanked Georgia, the college and the Festival committee for the lovely gifts which patients, loved ones, staff, volunteers and visitors can enjoy.
“It has been wonderful to welcome the group to St Catherine’s – we embrace any chance to develop further links with local schools, colleges and community groups,” he said.

“St Catherine’s not only serves the local community, it is part of the local community – events and initiatives like these further strengthen our relationships with people in the local area.”

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