Woodland planted in memory of nature-loving teen

The charity behind the project hoped the woodland would help the Oldham family remember happy times

A woodland area of specially-chosen trees has been created in memory of a nature-loving teenager.

Ollie Oldham, a pupil of the Samuel Pepys School in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, who would have turned 18 this week, died in August 2022 at the age of 16.

The 350-tree woodland close to Huntingdon Racecourse was planted by volunteers through the Creating Nature's Corridors charity.

Founder, Vhari Russell said she wanted to commemorate Ollie’s life by creating a lasting legacy.

Mrs Russell became friends with the Ollie's family after they met at NCT classes and in the maternity wing of Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Cambridgeshire.

She originally created the charity after her brother died from Adult Sudden Death Syndrome.

"I wanted to mark his [my brother] passing with a positive contribution to the natural environment that he loved," she said.

"I hope that Ollie’s family can benefit from the healing associated with being at one with nature and spending time in the wood and watching it mature."

She also hoped it could help them remember the happy times with Ollie, who had a rare blood disorder and who also loved spending time outdoors.

The trees in the woodland are a combination of alder, silver birch, grey willow, white willow, black poplar, and hawthorn.

They were planted by a team of 80 volunteers in a plot spanning a third of an acre in March.