WORK has been taking place to plant a memorial forest at a regional ambulance service site to commemorate those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The memorial forest is located at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Fairfields site in York and aims to provide a scenic and tranquil area for colleagues to visit and remember those who lost their lives.

It is also an area that can be used by staff to sit and walk in when they need some respite from their duties.

The project is supported by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) charity and includes 2,175 trees donated by NHS Forest which have been planted across the Fairfields site, as well as a pond, meadow area, hibernacula (frog and newt hibernation space), bug hotels and refuges for lots of smaller animals.

Phil Storr, chair of the YAS charity, said: “I am very proud the YAS charity is able to support such a worthwhile initiative that will benefit our dedicated staff and their families through providing an attractive outdoor space for them to use.”

Work started on the site in February with the initial preparation being completed by working groups from disability charity Open Country. The tree planting was then undertaken by staff volunteers.