Metro marks Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with commemorative tree planting ceremony

A tree planting ceremony has taken place on the Tyne and Wear Metro to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Metro operator, Nexus, joined up with community volunteers to plant the beautiful plum tree at Cullercoats Metro station in North Tyneside, commemorating the Queen’s 70-year reign. 

The tree was planted on land next to the Metro station, which volunteers from the local non-profit group the Cullercoats Collective are going to transform into a vibrant community garden.

The ceremony was performed by the volunteers, staff from Nexus, and the High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear, Mr David Bavaird.

Customer Services Director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “Metro is at the heart of the communities that it serves so we were delighted to join with the local volunteers in Cullercoats to plant a beautiful tree to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“It was a wonderful ceremony to mark Her Majesty’s 70-year reign, and it was fantastic to see the way we have worked with the local community on this project.

“The Queen famously opened Metro in November in 1981, and she returned in April 2002 to open the Sunderland line. These Royal visits are a fantastic part of our heritage.

“The tree planting ceremony also marled the start of an exciting community-led project to transform this spare land next to Cullercoats Metro station into a vibrant public garden.

“Nexus made the site available to the Cullercoats Collective to create a local green space that the whole community can enjoy. 

“This is another excellent example of the real benefits that a community project like this can bring to our network. It increases biodiversity at our stations and makes them really attractive gateways to their communities, as we play our full part in the region’s decarbonisation plans.”

High Sheriff of Tyne and Wear David Bavaird, said: “It has been an honour and a pleasure to attend this special event to help mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, especially as Her Majesty opened the Metro system in 1981.

“It was good to hear how Nexus have worked with a local community to deliver community good and I would like to thank everyone for their hard work, determination and imagination. Well done to everyone involved.”

David Wynd, from Cullercoats Collective, said: “Cullercoats Collective is about working together with others to bring about positive change in the community. Planting this tree today as part of the Queens Jubilee celebrations marks the beginning of a project that we hope creates a green space our community is proud of. We are grateful to Nexus for allowing to use this land in this way and for the local community that have already started to develop the land for the wider community.”

The Jubilee plum tree that was planted at Cullercoats has been registered to be part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a tree planting initiative run by Woodland Trust that was created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.

The Queen’s Green Canopy will create a network of individual trees and whole woodlands in honour of The Queen’s service and the legacy she has built.

Every tree planted will benefit people, wildlife, and climate, now and for the future.

Nexus has also marked the Jubilee by creating a special commemorative livery which has been added to Metrocar 4020, which was the train used by the Queen to travel on during her visit to officially open Metro network in 1981, and it is still in service today.
 

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