We held our second AGM on Wed 27th April.  This is a short summary of its key points and our activities

Village/Town Green Status
Progress is continuing.  We have been told that the final decision could take several years.  We have also applied to Lancaster Green Spaces Initiative to give the field additional protective status.

Financial Status
FMWF have limited funds (around £40) from voluntary collections.  Without funds we are very limited in what we can do.  We are looking at funding from various sources but if anyone has any ideas they would be more than welcome.  One idea was for subscriptions and/or sponsorship of specific tasks e.g. we have had the offer of sponsorship of our proposed web site by a local individual.

Japanese Knotweed
There is a patch of Knotweed (a recognised invasive species), approx. 30m x 10m adjacent to the small stream, known as the River Midge.  The legalities are complex.  You are not legally obliged to remove these plants or to control them.  However, if Knotweed is allowed to spread to other property you could be prosecuted.  It is also illegal to dispose of Knotweed, cuttings or contaminated soil without relevant licences.  Knotweed is a very persistent plant that spreads by its rhizomes (roots) or by other parts of the plant being physically moved.  Lancaster City Council informed us that they do not have the resources to eradicate the Knotweed.

We have had an initial quote of £3,500 + VAT from an accredited company for eradication of the Knotweed.  This type of programme takes 5 years with a 2 year guarantee.  We are looking at how to raise funds to carry out this work.  Any ideas welcome.

Publicity and Communication
We now have a Facebook page and are also looking to set up a web page and possibly Twitter account.  Are there any volunteers who could help with this?

Gregson Centre Affliation/Sub Group Status
It is hoped to become associated with the Gregson Centre to raise our profile and become a more recognised part of the Freehold community.

New Committee Members
We are looking for new Committee members to replace people who have moved/taken on other commitments.  Anyone interested in more information, please contact andrew.halladay@sky.com

Future Events

Litter Pick – Sunday 8th May  Meet at Derwent Road bus stop at 10:30am.  Bags will be provided but could volunteers bring their own protective gloves and clothing.

Wild Flower Seed Planting – Sunday 8th May  Combined with the litter pick.  To encourage and interest children on the same day, we also plan to sow wildflower seeds across 2 swathes of field alongside the mowed path.  Could volunteers bring equipment such as small garden forks, watering cans etc.

Pedestrian Survey – Monday 9th May  We intend to carry out a pedestrian survey/use of the field on several days throughout the year.  Volunteers urgently needed to take down numbers and use for an hour or so on Monday 9th April from 7am – dusk.  If available, even for 1 hour, please contact Neil Tomlinson via e mail nwtomlinson@btinternet.com   A survey sheet for this is also attached.