Last November the Friends planted a new copse of 68 saplings where Castle Meadows meets the western boundary of Linda Vista Gardens.

The trees were financially donated by the Abergavenny and District branch of Soroptimists International who were looking to mark the female empowerment organisation’s centenary year in 2021 with a locally beneficial environmental project.The trees, comprising beech, oak, willow, rowan, hazel, hornbeam and hawthorn coped well with the varied winter and spring weathers.

And all but a handful also survived the competing attentions of the thorns, nettles and Himalayan Balsam which the Friends cleared away from the guarded trees in several early summer sessions. The ones that didn’t make it were replaced by ash and walnut in order that the original planting number was maintained.

In order to mark their contribution the Soroptimists commissioned a plaque which was unveiled recently at the site. Hosted by the Friends, the invitees included Heidi Lewis, the Welsh Regional President of Soroptimists International; the Abergavenny and District SI President, Darryth Jenkins; Abergavenny’s Town Mayor, County Councillor Tudor Thomas, and Maureen Powell, County Councillor for the Castle Ward.

After brief speeches about the valuable work of the Friends and the Soroptimists, the Mayor and Heidi Lewis unveiled the plaque. Also invited along were a number of young girls who’ll represent the next generation of female achievement, aspiration and progress. The Friends brought along five guelder rose saplings which Tudor and Heidi then presented to the children.

With the Friends Chairperson being a former Soroptimist, the whole project has been a highly enjoyable and worthwhile collaboration between the two organisations, and it is hoped that the new copse of growing trees will become an additional landscape attraction in Castle Meadows.