Welcome back after our lovely, long summer. It was encouraging to see the field & the new bench has been well used & enjoyed by a wide variety of children & people of all ages.
Actions since the March Update
Annual Meeting and Auction: These events were held on 22nd April. Many thanks to those who attended the auction which raised around £400 for funds.
After the AGM Paul Wiggins took over as Chairperson from Andy Halladay, who remains on the Committee. Thanks to Andy for his hard work over the past 3 years. We would welcome anyone who would like to join us on the committee to help support & maintain the field.
Hornbeam Trees behind Kentmere Rd – Councillor Caroline Jackson liaised with our group, residents and the City Council to fell/pollard the large Hornbeams at the bottom of the field. The trees are now starting to grow back into the “hedge” as they were originally intended. We organised a working party on Sunday 8thApril to spread large amounts of chipped wood onto the paths through the field, which have been well used during the Summer.
We always welcome more volunteers to help with projects on the field. (see Events below)
The Pebble Project – Ridge schoolchildren have been involved in a “paint a pebble project”. Children in last Year’s class 5 each painted a pebble to represent what the field meant to them. Jean Argles, the niece of Miss Whalley, visited to judge the designs and chose the winning design, painted by Georgia Jackson. The winning pebble is to be taken to the war grave of Julian Whalley in France by a local resident. The Lancaster Guardian is interested in covering the story.
UPDATE: Click on this link to see the story in the Lancaster Guardian
https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/pebble-art-will-be-taken-to-french-grave-1-9392442
Notice Boards – One of the key issues raised at the Annual meeting was communication. In addition to the methods already used (e mail, web site, Facebook, Update Newsletters etc) it was suggested that notice boards on the field would be useful. We have been successful in obtaining a grant from Lancashire Environmental Fund to pay for two notice boards. We hope to have these built by a local joiner and installed by the end of October.
Events & Plans for 2018
- Working Party Sunday 21st October @ 11.00 hrs – We need more locals involved to help improve & maintain the field! Jon Oliver, a local expert in arboriculture & tree felling has offered his help by cutting back overgrown trees which we will remove as well as transplanting saplings & cutting overgrown paths etc.
Meet at the Kentmere Rd end of the field. All welcome, big, small, young and old. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult. Please wear suitable clothing & footwear & bring shovels, rakes, gloves, wheelbarrows and other helpful tools. - Annual Gregson Bonfire & Firework Display – Monday 5th November – The Gregson Festival group have once again have worked hard to raise sufficient funds & gain permission from the council to hold their successful Firework event. All help before & after the event welcome.
Future Plans for 2018/19
- Work with the Gregson Festival group & encourage locals to help make the 2018 Bonfire another great success.
- Continue to clear more willow scrub and areas around the orchard.
- Involve local schools in developing & using the field – e.g. we are now working with Central Lancaster High to help maintain the orchard, litter pick & be part of a project to design and install a garden area around the memorial. We are also working with Ridge and Christ Church Primary Schools as well as Central High who are all interested in using the memorial as the focus for their Remembrance Day recognition on Friday 9th November. More details to follow!
- We are working with Lancaster City Council to improve access along the field edge of Derwent Rd to improve the path & access to the bus stop. We have asked Lizzie Collinge to help with the involvement of Lancashire County Council.
- Apply for a grant to develop a Memorial garden around the stone & install a second bench
- Encourage more diverse wild life e.g. butterflies and bees by planting appropriate bushes, wild flowers, bulbs etc.
- Continue to pursue our Town/Village Green application with Lancashire County Council. It is now nearly 4 years since we first applied!
Funding Grants and Support – Funds are still very limited and we are always searching for sources of awards, grants or donations. Please let us know of any potential sources or if you would like to donate financially or offer your time. Thank you again to a local resident who is funding the hosting of our web site for 2018.
Publicity and Communication – Articles, updates and photos of recent events and developments on our website & Facebook page:-
https://misswhalleysfield.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/MissWhalleysField/
FMWF Contact: fmwfcontact@gmail.com – Contact this e mail if you would like to get involved in activities and/ or join the Committee.
