All Ireland learning disability, acquired brain injury and autism charity, Positive Futures, continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special tree planting event at Crom Estate National Trust in Fermanagh recently.
Thirty native trees, donated by the National Trust, were planted to symbolise three decades of supporting people to live the lives they choose. The event brought together staff and people supported by the charity, with Councillor Debbie Coyle, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council also in attendance.
Staff from the National Trust, partnering with Positive Futures on a number of planting initiatives over the next two years, were on hand to provide expert guidance and the planting team embraced the occasion with enthusiasm, enjoying the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful environmental initiative outside of the office.
The planting event supports the National Trust’s ‘Roots to Recovery’ project, which aims to enhance biodiversity and improve natural habitats across its properties.
Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillor Debbie Coyle commented,
“I would like to sincerely congratulate Positive Futures on celebrating 30 years of outstanding work supporting people with learning disabilities, acquired brain injuries and autism to live the lives they choose.
Their dedication, compassion and commitment have made a real and lasting difference to individuals, families and communities right across our district.
It was a pleasure to join them at this special tree planting event, which not only marks this significant milestone but also highlights their continued focus on inclusion, wellbeing and creating opportunities for people to thrive.”
Dr Agnes Lunny OBE, added: “Events like these are so good for the soul, our staff from our head office and local services get some well-earned time out of the office and the people we support, together with their support staff, have hopefully had a great day out. We had promises from several for attendees to come back to do some more planting with the National Trust team. We can’t wait to see what else this partnership will bring.”
Stevie McMullan, Project Manager at the National Trust, said:
“The tree planting event was met with great enthusiasm from everyone involved, and we were delighted to support Positive Futures as they marked this significant 30th anniversary milestone. Initiatives such as this demonstrate the power of nature to bring people together, enhance wellbeing and create a lasting legacy for the environment.
This event also represents one of the first steps in what we hope will be a strong and enduring collaboration. Through our DAERA-funded Roots to Recovery project, we are working to restore habitats, increase biodiversity and help more people connect with nature.
Positive Futures will play an important role in this work, from collecting tree seeds and supporting propagation in our new nursery to helping plant trees across National Trust properties. We look forward to working together to deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for both people and nature.”