This afternoon (Friday 11 March), the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey (Brigadier Roger Hood), along with the Mayor of Epsom & Ewell (Peter O’Donovan) and the Mayor of Sutton (Trish Fivey) planted an Acer in Nonsuch Park as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, a tree planting initiative across the UK created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Nonsuch Park is managed jointly by the London Borough of Sutton and Epsom & Ewell Borough Council through the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee. 

Chair of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee, Councillor David Reeve, gave the following welcome to those who gathered to mark the occasion: 

As Chairman of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee, I would like to thank the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, The Mayor of the London Borough of Sutton and the Mayor of the Borough of Epsom & Ewell, and representatives from our volunteer groups and councils for attending this very special Tree Planting Ceremony at Nonsuch Park today. 

As many of you will know this beautiful park is managed jointly by Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and the London Borough of Sutton. Both boroughs are extremely fortunate that our work is supported by two very active and industrious volunteer groups, the Nonsuch Voles and the Friends of Nonsuch. 

Today represents the seventieth day of the year in which The Queen marks the seventieth anniversary of her accession, and we are delighted to be joined by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant who will later help us celebrate this event by planting an Acer Tree dedicated to this occasion.  This tree will form part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, an initiative which invited people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. 

These trees will create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations. 

Today also marks the official opening of the new Acer Walk which has been planted by the Nonsuch Voles to mark their 10th Anniversary of voluntary work in the park.

A tree in the Acer Walk has been dedicated in fond memory of one of the founder members of the Friends of Nonsuch, Pauline Innes, who happily donated many years of service, to help preserve the rich history of the park, mansion, and museum. 

I am sure you will agree that our gathering today, which involves so many partners, reflects the true spirit of the Jubilee celebrations and all they represent.