Councillors call for greater awareness of free tree saplings for citizens at birth, marriage and death

It follows an update report on the project, which was presented to members at a Health and Community Committee meeting on Thursday, March 14.

The Life Project is a Public Health Agency funded initiative that aims to 'reduce the effects of air pollution on the health and wellbeing for future generations' by providing a tree sapling for each life event - birth, marriage or civil partnership, and death - registered in the council area.

Recipients are encouraged to plant the tree at their own property but if they do not have a suitable location, Council will identify alternative sites.

Head of Health and Community Wellbeing, Seamus Donaghy, said that every service user who has registered a birth, death, marriage, or civil ceremony at the council’s registrars' offices since December 2017 has been gifted a tree sapling to mark the occasion.

“There are approximately 4,000 such registrations annually,” he added. “And feedback from recipients has been overwhelmingly positive. In most cases, the sapling is taken and planted in a location of the recipient’s choosing.”

DUP Alderman Niree McMorris said the Life Project was 'one of the nicest projects I’ve heard of in a long time', but had spoken to a couple who had a civil ceremony last year and 'didn’t know anything about it'.

“Is everybody being offered it?” she asked.

Mr Donaghy said there was 'close to 100 percent' uptake in the project when it started, but remote registrations during the Covid pandemic meant saplings were only provided to 'some registrations'.

“There probably has been a gap in uptake since then,” he added. “But we’re seeing a pick up in the last year or two and we hope that will increase going forward."

SDLP councillor Jason Barr commended the project as a 'brilliant initiative', but echoed Alderman McMorris’ sentiments that they should be given out 'every time'.

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey said his father-in-law passed during Covid and he was 'unaware of the family being offered' a sapling when they registered in Strabane.

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Boggs also enquired if residents were always offered a sapling after an important life event.

“I know for a fact that I registered my grandmother’s death,” Councillor Boggs said. “And I have never been contacted about a tree, so what is the process?”

Mr Donaghy assured councillors that residents who registered events in person or over the phone would have been offered a tree sapling 'there and then', and anyone who hadn’t can contact the council and make a request.

The Life Project is a joint initiative between Council and the Public Health Agency, focused on improving Air Quality in the region.

The Council and PHA say the project has the potential to significantly increase the number of new trees planted in the City and District and leave a lasting memory for families from key life events as well as providing the associated health benefits.