Shropshire Council to plant cherry tree with children in Whitchurch to mark the Holocaust and other genocides
Shropshire Council will join with others across the country on Tuesday 27 January in remembering the Holocaust and other genocides, on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Remembering the Holocaust and other genocides, on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Schoolchildren at Whitchurch Juniors will plant a memorial cherry tree on the morning of Holocaust Memorial Day. This will involve Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum, South Shropshire Interfaith Forum, the school itself and local vicar, Shropshire Council representatives, and the Mayor of Whitchurch Town Council.
The Council and partners will take this very timely opportunity to show joint commitment against racism and religious hatred, and joint commitment to working with our children and young people. Our aim is to help them grow up with greater awareness and understanding about the Holocaust and other genocides, and why these must not happen again.
Councillor Andy Hall, portfolio holder for children and education, and local Shropshire Council councillor, said:
“Here in Shropshire, our aim is to help primary school children to learn about the Holocaust and other genocides in a way that will be age-appropriate and memorable, and that will help them to grow in their understanding of and respect for world faiths as well. As a local councillor and as the lead member for children and education, I am doubly pleased that the children of Whitchurch Juniors will be helping us to grow our cherry tree orchard of remembrance across Shropshire.
“At every school where we have planted these trees, children have enjoyed being part of this and have shown a great understanding when planting the trees as to their meaning and importance. It is a particular pleasure to be working with Whitchurch Town Council, who have kindly donated the tree, as we come together and plant what will be the twenty-first tree in our orchard.
“This year, we are thinking about the national theme “Bridging generations” and how this links with working across generations and faiths, helping the children of the county to grow alongside the trees. The theme is very apt, with the Shropshire orchard coming of age. We are looking forward to seeing what the children have been doing in preparation for the Day, and sharing it with them.”
Councillor Mrs Rose Hall, Mayor of Whitchurch Town Council, said:
“It is important that we learn the lessons of the past to meet the challenges of the ever-changing world we live in today – and this year’s ‘Bridging Generations’ theme does just that. Not only does the donation of the tree add to our environmental commitments, but it is also a symbol acting as a reminder of times which should never be repeated and an opportunity to reflect and remember those who have suffered unjustly at the hands of others.”
The children are also working towards making an artwork flame, linked to the theme. The idea is that each child in school creates a handprint which is then mounted into the flame design and then the flames are filled with names of family members.
The intention is to involve Councillor Andy Hall; the Mayor of Whitchurch Town Council, Councillor Mrs Rose Hall; and representatives of world faiths, so that they can help create the artwork and in so doing take the opportunity to reflect and share on what has been achieved in the last ten years, and how special the Whitchurch tree will be in helping the orchard to continue to grow.
In this way, there will then be a collective piece of artwork that really brings the theme to life, and provides a fitting way for us all in Shropshire to commemorate the planting of what will be our 21st tree.
Additionally, Shropshire Council is encouraging everyone to join in with the national moment of remembrance later that day. This is at 8pm. People across the nation will light candles and put them safely in their windows to:
- remember those who were murdered for who they were
- stand against prejudice and hatred today
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place on 27 January each year and is a time to remember the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. It marks the Holocaust and other atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis, including against the six million Jews who were murdered, and atrocities against people with disabilities, Sinti and Roma communities, people who were black or Slavic eg from Poland, and people who were gay.
More about the trees
In Shropshire, the approach that we have been taking for the last ten years in Shropshire is to work with primary schools in ways that will be age appropriate and memorable for them, through planting cherry trees across our very large and rural county.
We involve faith leaders, through the Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum and South Shropshire Interfaith Forum, and local Shropshire Council councillors, as community leaders. We identify a different primary school each year, so the orchard can grow in rural villages and market towns throughout Shropshire.
As well as sourcing the trees through kind support from our arboriculturist team here, John Blessington from the team helps with practicalities including guidance on looking after the trees as they grow alongside the children of the schools involved. They are Black Oliver flowering cherries, a variety native to the West Midlands. This was chosen to link in with the importance of fruiting trees in Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and to illustrate our wish to show welcome for different faiths within our local area.
We also have a special Remembering Srebrenica tree we return to each year, planted in July 2021 at Shirehall in Shrewsbury, to coincide with Remembering Srebrenica Day on 11th July. This commemorates the humanitarian role of the armed forces. There is more about the role of the local armed forces, in blogs produced by Shropshire Archives Team, at https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk/
