A tree in Park Hill Park was wrapped in messages from the community to celebrate World Peace Day on Friday.

The Croydon Peace Tree organisation and the Friends of Park Hill Park worked jointly to mark the day by inviting messages of peace from the community to create a peace tree.

Messages were sent from individuals and groups across the borough via social media, text and post, which volunteers strung up using white ribbons.

Friends of Park Hill volunteer Catherine Graham said: “This Peace Tree is symbolic of all that is good about Croydon and its citizens.

“The simple yet heartfelt comments and poetry sent in by people and organisations across the borough truly brings to life the Peace Tree.

“Peace means a lot to those who live in Croydon, both in the home, in their families, across the borough and into the wider world.

“I hope that those who contributed and those who share these thoughts can visit over the next two weeks to take in the messages. It has been an honour for the Friends to be able to host this statement of peace and hope.”

The collaboration is Friends of Park Hill Park’s latest peace themed project in 2018.

Other projects include the Peace & Wellbeing Festival in June, as part of the Croydon Festival of Peace, which featured dance and a performance of the Peace Anthem by the London Mozart Players.

Volunteers from the Croydon Peace Tree and Friends of Park Hill Park invite everyone to come to the Community Peace Garden to see the messages for two weeks from Friday 21st of September.

The Croydon Peace Tree organisation was created by Aishah Mehmood following the 2011 riots and the volunteers of the Friends of Park Hill Park have been creating community projects in the park since 2014.