THE FINAL tree planted to mark the late Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee has been accepted by a Dunfermline charity.

The International Fire Rescue Association (IFRA) has grown into one of the largest organisations of its kind in the UK and, last year, chairman David Kay OBE was one of a team of to visit Mexico, where they spent weeks training firefighters and campaigning for improved safety standards.

IFRA has hosted 73 worldwide missions, sent 107 vehicles to 23 countries and has around 200 members involved across the UK.

They have been celebrating their 20th anniversary recently, one of the reasons David believes the charity was chosen as a recipient of a Green Canopy tree.

He said: "This is the last of the Queen's Green Canopy trees to be planted, it was actually due to be planted last year but the Queen's death delayed it.

"I believe there was something like 80 in Scotland and there were two in Fife, we were awarded one.

"We are quite high-profile just now because it is the 20th anniversary of the IFRA charity.

"I think it was to coincide with the presentation which was going to happen by HRH Princess Anne on the day the Queen died."

The Queen's Green Canopy (QGC) is an initiative that began in May 2021 in honour of the Platinum Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II with an aim to increase and protect the native tree cover.

The tree was planted by Lord Lieutenant of Fife Robert Balfour.

David added: "It was a great honour to be included in the groups that were receiving the trees.

"Last year was quite a year for us, having now sent over 107 vehicles to 23 countries, our 20th anniversary, and the visit from Princess Anne."

And he is hoping that 2023 will be just as busy, with plans to distribute eight recently-acquired vehicles between Argentina, Mexico, and Paraguay as well several training trips planned.

"We are now also loading containers and equipment that have been donated from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland, and organisations like the airport fire services in Edinburgh and Dundee," David said.

"We are going to be sending a container to Mexico, Ecuador and Sierra Leone so we are very busy.

"These vehicles have to be serviced and have parts replaced, it's quite a busy few months.

"The organisation are going away to Argentina in April for training, there's a team going away to Albania, there's a team going away to Paraguay, Mexico, and Ecuador.

"There's plenty to keep us going for this, what started out as a small Dunfermline charity, it's grown to be one of the biggest in the UK and the biggest in Scotland."