Causeway Coast and Glens Council to provide oak sapling to bereaved families
Causeway Coast and Glens Council are to offer oak tree saplings to families of recently deceased constituents.
At January’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, DUP councillor Dawn Huggins put forward a successful proposal, which read: “That this council agrees to provide an oak sapling to all bereaved families when they collect a death certificate.
“This gesture will serve as a symbol of comfort and renewal at a time of loss, showing compassion and humility from the council.
“It will also support our environmental and climate strategy by encouraging tree planting and biodiversity across our borough.”
Councillor Huggins said she was inspired to put forward the motion when her mother, who lived in the Derry and Strabane area, passed away last year, and she was given an oak sapling by Derry City and Strabane District Council when collecting her death certificate.
“At a time of deep grief it really did give me something positive to focus on; something living, something that grows,” Councillor Huggins said, during an emotional address to her fellow committee members.
“We planted the sapling in my garden and it has become a place of reflection and comfort long after the initial loss, the sapling is thriving, and I am not ashamed to admit that I go there often and say hello to my mother.
“I fully recognise that not every family will be in a position or wish to take a sapling home. For that reason I would also like to propose that where a family chooses not to take a sapling, the council instead plant it within a suitable, council-managed green space.
“This ensures that every sapling still serves a purpose, creating shared spaces of remembrance within our borough.”
DUP councillor Tanya Elder seconded the motion and praised it for being “both compassionate and practical”.
She added: “The simple gesture of offering an oak sapling provides lasting comfort, remembrance, and renewal at a time of profound grief.
“It demonstrates humility and humanity from this council, reminding residents that we are not just an administrative body but one that cares deeply about the people we serve.
“At the same time, this motion aligns strongly with our environmental and climate commitments. Encouraging tree planting across the borough supports biodiversity [and] carbon reduction in greener communities, while creating living memorials that will benefit future generations.”