Council Tulip Giveaway to Wootton Peace Garden

Bedford Borough Council has given tulip bulbs to Wootton Upper School for the Wootton Peace Garden, following the tulip bulb giveaway earlier this year.

The Council gave away approximately 6,600 tulip bulbs from last spring's Embankment floral display, to schools, charities and community groups in the Borough.

One of the recipients of the bulbs was Wootton Upper School. The school requested the bulbs to plant in the Wootton Peace Garden as a memorial for students, staff and governors who have lost family and friends to COVID-19.

Councillor Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for Environment said "Seeing so many different groups in Bedford Borough come forward to request the bulbs is really encouraging. It shows how invested people from across the community are in keeping Bedford Borough a beautiful place.It's unfortunate that we weren't able to accommodate all the requests for bulbs but we are all excited to see how they will look when they bloom. We're especially supportive about the bulbs being planted at Wootton Peace Garden and wholeheartedly support their decision to create a memorial to friends and family of the school."

Carrie McMorn, Headteacher of Wootton Upper School, said "We saw that Bedford Borough Council were giving away the tulip bulbs and jumped at the opportunity to apply for them. The memorial at the Peace Garden commemorates those who have lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's something important to both students and staff at Wootton Upper School. We wanted to use this as a sign of respect and a commitment to always remember our loved ones who have passed."

Several other schools, community groups and charities across Bedford Borough have also been given tulip bulbs to plant, including NHS Gardens, Parish Councils, religious groups, clubs for young people and residential care homes.