Report by Mr. Richard Outram, UK & Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter Secretary
On Monday 21 November, students and staff at Saddleworth School in Oldham, North-West England were joined by Saddleworth Parish Council Chair, Cllr Pam Byrne, President of Bike for Peace, Tore Nærland, Maria Ellis, Chair of Peace Talks Oldham, and Richard Outram, UK/Ireland Chapter Secretary to plant a tree from Hiroshima.
The hackberry tree was grown from a seed from a survivor tree sent by the Mayors for Peace Secretariat as a gift to Oldham because of its membership of Mayors for Peace.
Saddleworth School was the eighth school in Oldham to receive a tree as a signatory of the Pledge to Peace.
Head girl Anya Wyatt and head boy Daniel Wood broke the ground to plant the tree then the other Year 10 pupils took turns with the shovel.
Tore, Richard and Maria spoke with the students, Headteacher Mike Anderson and RE Head Kate O’Connell, and Cllr Byrne read from Tore’s new book.
Richard said: “It was wonderful to visit Saddleworth School to plant this symbolic tree which reminds us that we must never again see the use of nuclear weapons, and of the ties of friendship that now exist between Hiroshima and Oldham.”
