In Burbury Park, Newtown, there are now 65 new trees signifying each year of a life well-lived and respected, dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah. In a final celebratory planting session, the legacy forest dedicated to Benjamin was completed by returning community members and volunteers from previous sessions, a myriad of winning poets from the Trees Please, Poetry Please? competition, Cabinet Member for the Environment Councillor Majid Mahmood, fellow Birmingham City Council representative Pat Whyte, Josh Neicho from Local Storytelling Exchange, Debra from Burbury Park Community Forum (BPCF), Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, as well as Millicent Springer (Benjamin’s sister from the Benjamin Zephaniah Family Legacy Group [BZFLG]) and Qian Zephaniah (Benjamin’s loving wife).

Thank you to BCC Woodlands Team members Nick and Leon for their continual help, Matt for the logistics and refreshments (making sure we were fed and coffeed), our sponsors Trees for Cities, Veolia, BCC, Frank P Matthews, and all of the groups and individuals who donated towards the initial fundraiser. All of it amounted to this:

There are now 65 trees in The Zephaniah Forest, dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah, in what we and BZFLG, as well as BPCF and Birmingham Empowerment Forum, shall ensure will be a growing and lasting legacy for a legend in his hometown.