TV newsman Harry Gration has been busy helping schoolchildren plant trees to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Harry, who retired after a 40-year career with the BBC, is the face of a new advertising campaign for Steeton-based company Acorn Stairlifts. He was keen to get stuck in when he heard the business was teaming up with local primary schools to plant trees for the jubilee as part of the Queen's Green Canopy Scheme.

The national scheme aims to create a lasting environmental legacy.

Five schools with space in their grounds for planting trees took up the offer. They were Ingrow Primary, Steeton Primary, Long Lee Primary, Merlin Top Primary Academy and Eastwood Community School. At each one, children were actively involved with planting the saplings, along with school staff and people from Acorn. Harry was also able to attend three of the events, at Ingrow, Steeton and Long Lee, proving a dab hand with a spade!

“It was great to see the children’s enthusiasm and help them plant the trees,” said Harry. “Maybe in years to come they’ll have their own children at the schools and be able to show them the trees they planted.”

Acorn’s Operations Director Nick Wilson, himself a former pupil at Long Lee Primary, said it had been good to work with local schools as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy scheme: “I think we’ve all learnt that we can do our bit to help the environment now and for the future,” said Nick.

Acorn also looks after a large number of mature trees in the grounds around its factory, offices and car parks at Steeton’s Millennium Business Park. You can find out more about the Queen’s Green Canopy, and how to get involved, at: www.queensgreencanopy.org