On Wednesday, Mayor Michelle Thomas visited the College to plant a commemorative tree.
The Henley College is delighted to announce that it will be planting a large tree donated by the Henley Town Council in commemoration of the Queen's canopy. The parks team recommended the Rowan tree as the best-suited tree for this project as they are native trees with all-year-round interest and a compact structure.
The planting ceremony was held behind the Principal’s office in the central sculpture garden at our Deanfield campus, and the Mayor of Henley, Michelle Thomas, was in attendance. Students and staff were also present at the ceremony to witness the Mayor's presentation of a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
Michelle Thomas said, “It was the Queen’s desire to inspire everyone to plant a tree for the Jubilee and it was a unanimous verdict amongst the councillors that we wanted to plant trees in all the local schools, which started with primary schools and has now worked its way up to The Henley College.”
Alex Cranston, who studies A Level Business, Maths, Computer Science and EPQ, said: “This tree is for the late Queen Elizabeth the Second, who was the divine monarch of our country for 70 years. This tree is here to commemorate her passing and Henley’s appreciation for her. For future students, I hope this represents what the Queen meant to us now and in the future.”
Lucas Webb, from Chinnor, who studies History, Politics and English Literature A Levels added: “A lovely ceremony to hold for our dear late Queen Elizabeth. I feel the tree represents her best qualities as it signifies her everlasting stability and love for nature and how committed she was to education and the environment.”
The Henley Town Council has been a great support to the college and Principal Satwant Deol expressed her delight at the council’s contribution, saying: “I am so pleased that our staff and students have come out to represent the college. I am really delighted that this tree will be the legacy for future generations and the Mayor has been such a support for us. The Henley College isn’t just two campuses, the whole of Henley is our learning campus.”
The Head of HR, Liz Guerin, echoed the sentiment and praised the tree's beauty, saying: "It’s a beautiful tree, and we all look forward to watching it grow as we sit outside in the sunshine eating our lunch over the coming years."
Michelle added, “I just wanted to say how much I’ve enjoyed being the mayor this year – I step down in a week - This is my sixth visit to the College and I’ve been round the classrooms, I saw Evita and I’m so proud of you all. Thank you for the wonderful time I’ve had with you.”
The Henley College would like to thank the Henley Town Council and the Mayor for their continued support and look forward to the tree growing and blossoming in the years to come. For more information about the Rowan tree, please refer to the Woodland Trust website.
