At 1:00 pm on Wednesday 19 October, a special tree-planting ceremony took place in the British Union Conference (BUC) Peace Garden. This transpired after One Vision charity was nominated to receive one of the Queen's Green Canopy Tree of Trees, created to mark the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
The Award
This unique national tree-planting initiative, was extended as a special invitation, awarded to specific people and groups from across the UK who make a significant impact in their communities. Their brief was to "Plant a tree for the Jubilee," creating a legacy, in honour of HMQ's leadership of the nation, and to benefit future generations.
Following 28,000 nominations, One Vision charity were amongst the 300 chosen for this award, in recognition of the work they have undertaken to improve the quality of life within the local community. Their diverse interventions in areas such as social care, health and wellbeing, inclusion, diversity, social justice, and community innovations, across all age groups, cultures, and religions, has made a significant and positive impact across Hertfordshire.
Enoch Kanagaraj, CEO, and founder of One Vision is a member of the Stanborough Park church. He said, "We are delighted and honoured to have been nominated, and fortunate to have received one of the Queen's Green Canopy Tree of Trees." In acknowledgement of the award ceremony he attended on 30 September to receive the tree, he continued, "The occasion was truly an emotional one. It was a real honour to have been presented with a tree in recognition for the work we have done in our community. We are proud of our volunteers who make our work possible."
The Event
With this backdrop of acknowledging One Vision Charity's work, and remembering the Queen, there was much excitement from the attendees at the tree-planting event in the Peace Garden of the BUC on 19 October.
Many of the invited speakers spoke about the impact of the late Queen Elizabeth II, her Christian faith, her uncompromised commitment to duty and her legacy.
Deputy Lieutenant Akthar Zaman delivered a message on the importance of the Queen's Green Canopy for communities. He highlighted the outstanding work of One Vision charity and how impactful their interventions have been across Hertfordshire, congratulating them on the receipt of the Queen's award.
Pastor Audrey Andersson, Vice-President of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, spoke on the importance of community togetherness. She emphasised the impact of events such as the tree planting ceremony, and the symbolic unifying message of hope
Pastor Eglan Brooks, BUC President outlined a comparative analysis in relation to the importance of a legacy. Highlighting the heritage and significance of the Tree of Trees, he invited the attendees to think of what impact they are making in their daily lives, and to contemplate what legacy they might wish to leave behind.
Cllr Annie Brewster – Chairman of Hertfordshire Country Council, reflected on the dedicated life service that our late Queen exemplified, and how meaningful the tree planting initiative stands as a poignant heritage of her reign.
Sharon Platt-McDonald, Women's, Health and Community Services Director (BUC) spoke on the virtue of trees in their protection of the environment, the wholistic wellbeing of the community, and the hope that it brings to every facet of life.
Dr Daniel Duda, President of the Trans-European Division, had the honour of embedding the tree in its new home in the circular recess of the Peace Garden. Each attendee, including the children from Stanborough Primary School, were invited to shovel the soil, securing it around the base of the tree to stabilise it. The unveiling of the commemorative plaque in honour of One Vision's award, was undertaken by Dr Duda who gave the congratulatory declaration, and offered a special prayer of blessing for the continued work of One Vision.
We are grateful to God for the work and reach of One Vision charity as it continues to make a difference in individual lives and influence various strata of society.
For more information on the Queen's Green Canopy visit the following websites:
The Queen's Green Canopy (queensgreencanopy.org) About Us - The Queen's Green Canopy (queensgreencanopy.org)