NEWS FROM THE WOODLAND TRUST

16 March 2009

SUN SHINES ON ALL IN HAINAULT’S MUSLIM CEMETERY

On a gloriously sunny day, the Gardens of Peace lived up to its name and opened its doors on Elmbridge Road to tree planters across the local community. They included children and their parents from Al-Noor and Apex Primary Schools, the 7th Goodmayes (al-noor) Scouts Group, Councillors Vanessa Cole and Vic Tewari, prospective Labour candidate for Ilford North Sonia Klein and Abdul Khaliq of Respect Party, as well as the organisers from the Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery Trust and the Woodland Trust (the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity).

Former Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Vanessa Cole said: "I had the great privilege of opening the Gardens of Peace back in 2003, and like the trees planted then it has grown and flourished. The young people who came to plant trees today under the supervision of the Woodland Trust and parents will be able to watch their saplings grow into beautiful trees that benefit the whole community. Trees help all of us live cleaner lives by taking out pollution, they cut down noise and are wonderful to look at and be amongst - it brings peace to all of us.”

The Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery, the largest of its kind in Europe, was once part of the vast 4,900 acre historic Hainault Forest, which was broken up in 1851. Sunday’s planting of 250 native trees is part of efforts to re-forest a little corner of its original footprint and represents the second time the Muslim Cemetery Trust and the Woodland Trust have worked together.

To date in excess of 10,000 trees, shrubs and plants have been put into the site, which was a disused piece of land with a polluted ditch when the Muslim Cemetery Trust acquired it in1998.

Although the cemetery is mainly dedicated for graves, there is now a fresh water stream and a formal area with plants named in the Qu’ran (Muslim holy book) and the Bible, creating an “English-Islamic Experience”. The surrounding boundary has areas where trees can be planted, thus creating a screen of native woodland which in part reflect its history.

Tony Chadwick, the Woodland Trust’s development officer for Hainault Forest said: “Although we’ll never be able to re-create Hainault’s ancient woodland here, we can still create a haven for wildlife and people. It’s really exciting to be working with the Muslim Cemetery Trust, engaging with local people, and especially children, through the planting of trees and also introducing them to the idea of respect for nature, which is a part of all religions.”

In the Islamic faith, the Prophet Mohammad said: “Anyone who plants a tree under which people seek shade or shelter from the sun will have his reward with Allah.”

For more information on Gardens of Peace visit: www.gardens-of-peace.org.uk

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Notes to newsdesk:

Photos attached: reproduction free for editorial use.
Caption 1: Humaaira Jama (left) and Aniqah Majid (right) from the 7th Goodmayes (Al-Noor) Muslim Scouts
Caption 2: Local scouts and schoolchildren 

For media enquiries contact: Fiona Moss at the Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121
email:   fionamoss@woodlandtrust.org.uk

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.  It has 250,000 members and supporters.  The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland. Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres).  Access to its sites is free.  Further news can be found at www.woodland-trust.org.uk.

Hainault Forest: Until 1851 Hainault Forest was an extensive area of common land with ancient pasture woodland covering some 4,900 acres/1984 hectares. In 1851 Hainault Forest was deforested by Act of Parliament. Most of the pasture woodland of Hainault Forest was destroyed very soon after the 1851 Act by being converted to arable use and in 1900, only 300 acres out of the original 4900 acres were left. Essex County Council now owns almost the entire remaining ancient pasture woodland habitat. Most remnants of Hainault Forest are now included within the Hainault Forest Country Park owned by Essex County Council and London Borough of Redbridge. The Country Park was created in 1906 following the acquisition of what was left of Hainault Forest by Essex and London Councils, which were galvanised into action by Edward North Buxton. An act of Parliament in 1906 laid down the agreement for the Forest to be managed for the public forever. In 1998, the Woodland Trust leased 319 acres/129 hectares of relict ancient pasture woodland of Hainault Forest from Essex County Council and manages it on its behalf.

The Woodland Trust’s Hainault Forest Project receives grant aid from the following:

Biffaward is a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT), which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. In December 1997, Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administer under the fund name Biffaward. Grants made from the fund currently amount to more than £70 million, supporting many worthwhile environmental projects.
Biffa is a part of Severn Trent Plc and is one of the largest single suppliers of waste management services in the UK. It collects, treats, recovers and disposes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste nationwide and in Belgium.