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Town Mills welcomes alder tree in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

An alder tree in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her 70-year reign, has taken up residence at its new home in Town Mills Riverside Park.

The tree was donated to Purple Oak Support from the Queen’s Green Canopy ‘Tree of Trees’ sculpture, which stood tall as a message of hope, regeneration and optimism to the nation and the world as part of the Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations.

Representatives from Purple Oak Support, Lady Louisa Portal and local councillors attended a small ceremony on 10 November 2022 to plant the tree and create a lasting reminder of the Queen’s unwavering service to the country and the legacy she leaves.

Purple Oak Support president and local borough councillor, Iris Andersen, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to attend the tree planting, despite the drizzly weather.

“I am so pleased that we were able to accommodate the alder at Riverside Park, where I have no doubt it will be enjoyed for decades to come.

“How wonderful that Andover can be part of this fantastic project and Purple Oak Support has been recognised for its incredible work.”

Lisa Rogers, CEO of Purple Oak Support, added: “These trees were gifted as a thank you for all of the valuable and tireless work that groups and individuals do for the benefit of their communities. We felt it only right to share our tree with our community to acknowledge that we are one of many who would be deserving of this honour. We are delighted to have been chosen and we are incredibly proud of all of the hard work carried out by our staff teams and volunteers. We hope that many people from the Andover community will enjoy seeing it grow and flourish in this wonderful space.”