Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins has joined over 500 other MPs to plant trees as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a network of forest conservation initiatives to mark Her Majesty’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

The trees – two silver birch, two rowan, and a hazel – were planted at the Ashgate Road allotment.

They were donated to Toby Perkins thanks to a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sainsbury’s and ITV, who screened a landmark documentary, The Queen’s Green Planet.

At the heart of the film was a conversation between the Queen and Sir David Attenborough talking informally about climate change and trees.

In support of the programme the Woodland Trust provided 50,000 trees for ITV viewers, and via the Rt Hon Frank Field MP, who conceived the QCC initiative, also offered a special commemorative pack to every MP in the UK.

Woodland Trust Chief Executive Beccy Speight said: “We are delighted so many MPs have decided to join us in our bid to plant trees. They are crucial in improving soil health and water quality, reducing carbon, trapping pollutants, slowing the flow of flood water, providing a home for wildlife or a space for us to breathe. I hope the residents of Chesterfield will enjoy watching them flourish as part of this wonderful legacy initiative.”

Toby said “I was very happy to receive the tree saplings as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy and Woodland Trust initiative and was delighted to present them to the Ashgate Road allotment, which has undergone some impressive improvements in recent times. The trees have been well placed by dedicated gardeners on ‘Brian’s bank’ and I will be returning with interest to see how well they have grown. We don’t always fully appreciate how important trees are to the environment, to biodiversity and the well-being of people, so this initiative goes a small way to increase awareness and tree population.”