The Southern Trust has launched their tree planting programme at St Luke’s Hospital in Armagh.
Over 6,000 native trees including Birch, Hazel, Mountain Ash and Oak will be planted at the site over the coming months as part of a programme to plant thousands more across Trust facilities.
Speaking at the launch Catherine Teggart, Director of Finance, Procurement and Estates explained: “The Southern Trust is a large organisation employing over 13,000 staff with a vast estate and we want to be at the forefront of delivering sustainable healthcare.”
The tree planting at St Luke’s site is the start of the programme detailed in the Trust’s Sustainability Strategy in which they have created a target of planting 15,000 trees by 2026 across across their sites.
She added: “This ‘green plan’ outlines our key environmental priorities over the next five years in areas including estates and utilities, green spaces and waste management.”
Mark Bloomer, Assistant Director of Estates commented: “Trees help clean the air we breathe; they absorb pollutant gases and help offset carbon emissions.
“The Trust has already reduced its carbon footprint by 29% to date, so our tree planting now will be a part of our commitment to a lower carbon future.
He added: “Our sustainability team plan to further expand green spaces across the Trust, connecting buildings to the natural environment.
“This not only improves patient and service user experience across our facilities but is also a welcoming place for our staff and visitors and improves health and wellbeing for all.”
