Green-fingered Walsall Healthcare volunteers today joined MP Valerie Vaz to plant trees at the Manor Hospital as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC), a forest conservation initiative involving all 53 countries of the Commonwealth.

The Walsall South MP, who is Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, brought two rowan trees, two silver birches and a hazel which were donated thanks to a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV.

The giveaway was in support of a landmark documentary, The Queen’s Green Planet, screened on ITV last April. It followed Her Majesty the Queen and the ambitious QCC legacy project which brings together her deeply held commitment to the Commonwealth and her love of trees.

More than 500 MPs have been taking part in this initiative across the UK and today Valerie met up with volunteers Bill Ellens and Maggie Josebury to plant the trees among picnic tables around the Belle Vue staff car park area.

Valerie said: “Volunteers like Bill and Maggie are doing a fantastic job and remind us how important it is for patients and staff to be able to enjoy garden areas and outside spaces. Our mental health and wellbeing is just as important as our physical health and I’m sure these trees will enhance this area over the coming months and years as well as providing a reminder of an extremely worthy initiative.”

Bill added: “We had perfect planting conditions today – the sun even came out for us at one point!”

The QCC was conceived by the Right Honourable Frank Field MP and was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in 2015.