Captain Sir Tom Moore's memorial woodland in West Yorkshire unveiled in honour of fundraiser
An ancient forest in Keighley will be renamed in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore
Last updated 1st Dec 2021
An ancient forest and open ground will be renamed and planted with more trees in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore, the Woodland Trust has said.
The 17 acres of land at Holme House Wood, near his childhood home close to Keighley, will be renamed as Captain Tom's Memorial Wood.
Small pockets of individual trees will be planted across three meadows to keep key areas of open space and views across the site, while areas of denser tree planting will buffer and protect the existing ancient woodland.
'"Tomorrow will be a good day"
His motto "tomorrow will be a good day" will be engraved on a seat overlooking the meadow, the Woodland Trust said.
Sir Tom captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown, when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday.
He raised £38.9 million for the NHS, including Gift Aid, with the money given to NHS Charities Together.
He died at Bedford Hospital in February after testing positive for Covid-19.
His legacy will live on forever
His daughter Lucy Teixeira said:
"This is a wonderful fitting tribute to my father and his love of nature.
"Trees for Tom grew from my environmental colleagues asking what they could do to honour my father's death. I asked them to plant trees.
"This project highlights those who have lost a loved one in the last 18 months.
"Captain Tom's Memorial Woodland will be for everyone in the community and for anyone who wants to come and remember a loved one.
"This wood gives us hope for a greener future with nature at the core of all our thinking."
Site manager Alistair Nash from the Woodland Trust also said:
"It's an honour to rename and extend this beautiful site in tribute to a great Yorkshireman.
"Sir Tom was concerned about what the future holds for his grandchildren and the negative impact we are having on our planet.
"We hope this wood will be a fitting memorial to Sir Tom and will inspire people from across the UK, to protect and cherish the natural environment whist enjoying all the splendour this site has to offer."
Planting and other works at the site will begin in March 2022 and are hoped to be finished by autumn next year, the trust said.