SECAD Partnership is marking its 30th anniversary with a series of community tree planting events across Cork as part of the initiative ‘30 Trees for 30 Years of Supporting Communities’.
Native Irish trees, including oak and birch, are being planted together with local communities as a living symbol of the partnerships built over three decades.
The initiative was launched in September 2025 during SECAD’s 30th anniversary celebration in Ballinadee Community Hall, where An Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined the organisation to plant the first tree — a native Irish birch.
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In 2026, SECAD continued the initiative with community plantings in Aghada, Killeagh, Macroom, Inchigeelagh, Millstreet and Ballincollig, with further events planned throughout March, including in Youghal and Midleton.
The first round of plantings took place during National Tree Week, linking the anniversary celebrations with the nationwide focus on trees and biodiversity.
Each planting event brings together SECAD staff and management with local community groups and volunteers that have worked with and been supported by SECAD over the past three decades. It provides an opportunity to reconnect, reflect on the many projects delivered together through programmes such as SICAP and LEADER, as well as TÚS and RSS schemes, and to discuss the challenges communities face today and how SECAD can continue to support them in the future.
Over the past three decades, SECAD has supported more than 18,000 individuals, helped over 200 local enterprises create and sustain rural jobs, and provided funding and guidance for more than 500 community infrastructure projects across the region. Working through programmes such as SICAP, LEADER, TÚS, RSS and Local Area Employment Services, SECAD has partnered with communities to develop local facilities, strengthen social inclusion, support enterprise and create opportunities that help communities grow and thrive.
Speaking about the initiative, SECAD CEO Ryan Howard said the tree plantings provide a meaningful way to celebrate the organisation’s anniversary and the many partnerships that have shaped community development across Cork.
The initiative will continue throughout 2026, with further planting events planned in autumn so that by the end of the year, communities across the whole SECAD area will have taken part.
Each tree planted through the initiative stands as a symbol of the partnerships that have grown over three decades — and of the shared commitment to continue supporting strong, active and connected communities across Cork for many years to come. For more information, visit www.secad.ie
