Members of Keighley’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association and Forest of Bradford volunteers exploited a break in the bad weather to plant hundreds of new trees.
Helped by adult supervisors, some 35 children – including a few from as far afield as Newcastle – got together to plant 1,300 saplings on former allotment land at North Dean Beck in Guard House. The land is owned by Keighley Town Council, and the saplings were provided by national charity Trees for Cities, as part of its Big Tree Plant scheme.
Faheem Rahman, youth co-ordinator for Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association Keighley, said: “It’s an article of our faith to fulfil the rights of the Earth, and planting trees to make the environment more wholesome is one of the rights of the Earth.”
Dr Aziz Ahmad Hafiz, president of the Keighley association, said: “The North Dean Beck area will hopefully be beautified into lovely woodland with various species of trees, making it an enjoyable area for the residents of Guard House and beyond to enjoy.
“It’s a great thing for the children to do because we can instill in them the importance of putting something back into their community.”
The planting was carried out by the association in conjunction with Bradford Environmental Action Trust.
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