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Spelthorne
Civic Pride Volunteers |
 Funky Footprints Nature Reserve
wins 2 Awards!
Visitors to the Reserve will understand why the site has
won Awards. It is a delightful area with great potential
for use by schools as an Outside Classroom and a
breeding ground for all sorts of wildlife – at the
moment it seems to be breeding awards as well! |
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The first award was a joint presentation to Tarmac and
Civic Pride from Surrey County Council for
Good Practice in Restoration and Enhancement Works
The second award, in June, was even more prestigious as
entrants were drawn from gravel companies all over the
UK. Tarmac said that they couldn’t have done it alone -
the work of all the volunteers played an integral part
in winning this award.
Funky Footprints won the Conservation Award in the
Restoration Category of the
British Trust for Ornithology’s Business Bird Challenge.
These two awards reflect just what can be achieved when
voluntary groups, the business community and local
government all work together towards a common goal. We
would like to thank all our partners who have been so
supportive of this project :- Tarmac, BTO Surrey, Surrey
County Council Minerals Restoration Dept, Spelthorne
Borough Council, Egham & Staines Conservation
Volunteers, Stanwell Woodcraft Folk, Spelthorne Tree
Wardens, Girls Venture Corps Air Training, BAA Heathrow,
UPS, St Nicholas Primary School, Saxon Primary School
and Surrey Wildlife Trust. And we mustn’t forget all 187
individuals who did all the work
And what did all these groups & individuals do that won
these awards?
Put handrails on bridges
4 Bat boxes made and erected
Planted 200 wild flower plugs and 100 trees
6 barley straw bales put into lake to inhibit algae
Reeds removed from a small section of the lake
6 hedgehog hibernation boxes built and installed
Willows coppiced and material used for habitat piles
Anti-slip wire attached to 2 dipping platforms & bridges
6 new log piles for over wintering amphibians and
insects
4 large information boards were erected for use by
schools
250 native British hedge trees planted by staff from BAA
Heathrow
Cut reeds piled under hedge for over wintering
amphibians and insects
As you can see from the enclosed Community Programme
there more we can do to make the site even better for
schools and wildlife. With an area this big we have the
room to accommodate many types of habitat. For example,
the dreaded Ragwort that is rightly removed from all
grazing land as it can kill horses and cattle, is
welcome here. This little plant plays an important part
in the life cycle of more than 177 insects!
Our Wildlife Open Day in July was very well attended and
many new visitors were bowled over by the beauty of the
site. Could you or your group join us for a work day?
Do go along if you haven’t seen the reserve yet – it’s
well worth a visit. |
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Community Projects |
Laleham Pond
We would like to thank Peter Stephens for yet another
load of wood chips for the paths. There still some local
residents who haven’t seen this little haven. We will be
open again on Saturday 10th September from 1.30 to 4 as
part of the Spelthorne’s Heritage Open Day initiative.
If the sun is shining the pond is alive with huge bright
red dragon flies and lots of smaller blue damselflies.
Please help us with all the usual end of summer jobs
like cutting back nettles and brambles and clearing the
footpath.
Littleton Recreation Ground
As part of Spelthorne’s Liveability Project we will be
helping local residents to plant tress round the park.
We all want to make this little park better for both
people and wildlife, and adding new trees will help.
Spelthorne’s Tree Wardens, Civic Pride, and Egham &
Staines Conservation Volunteers will all be lending a
hand, but we need your help too!
Millennium Wood
This flat, oblong expanse of grass has been transformed
by a partnership between you, the Tree Wardens,
Spelthorne Borough Council, Civic Pride and the many
groups & individuals who gave us money for trees. We now
have a flourishing woodland that attracts birds, insects
and lots more people. In fact, the trees have grown so
well that we need to prune some and add wood chips round
the smaller trees and shrubs. You don’t need any
experience to help here – we provide all the tools you
need and even the best quality chocolate biscuits at
coffee time!
Swan Sanctuary
The swans and other patients have arrived in Shepperton.
But, there is still lots to do to improve the site.
Surrey County Council’s North West Surrey Landscape
Conservation Programme have given us £500 to buy trees
to increase diversity here. We will need lots of
volunteers to help us plant them all. |
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Swans
in love? |
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Our Special Thanks |
Literally hundreds of Spelthorne residents join us to
make our area better, but there are four volunteers we
would like to single out for special thanks.
Hugh Evans has spent many, many hours watching the birds
and wildlife at Funky Footprints. Without his superb
records the site would not have won the two awards – so
please accept our sincere thanks.
Jeff Mendoza contacted us last year and offered to make
free signs for us. We are extremely grateful to him for
the smart new notices at Funky Footprints and Laleham
Pond.
Tom Proud sanded, repaired and re-varnished our 4 large
information boards round the borough. This will extend
their life and we appreciate all his hard work.
Russell Bull turns out every work day but is never seen
by the volunteers. He transports the wheelbarrows to and
from all the work sites. By way of a thank you we are
including his work phone number in case you need garden
work done 01784 257363. |
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Bulbs Across the Borough has a new sponsor! |
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Surrey County Council’s North West Surrey Landscape
Conservation Programme have given us a grant to pay for the daffodils and
crocuses we are offering you this year. The aim of this
initiative is to brighten our parks, streets, schools,
youth clubs grounds, churches and open areas next spring
with a lovely splash of colour. Not all areas are
approved for planting, so please decide on a site and
return the application form by 24th September. You will
then be notified if your area is agreed and when you
will be able to collect the bulbs. |
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Dead wood plea from Surrey Wildlife Trust |
People often wonder why dead wood is not cleared from
our woodlands. The truth is that dead wood, both fallen
and standing, is vitally important for all kinds of
wildlife. Up to a third of woodland insects are
dependant on dead wood and these insets have been
identified as the most threatened communities of
invertebrates throughout Europe.
Birds and mammals feed on these insects so without them
our woodlands would not support such a variety of
species.
In addition one third of all woodland birds, including
tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers and owls nest in holes or
cavities in dead trees.
1448 Pledges made so far – and that’s just the start!
We have had a wonderful response to our Pledge and we
haven’t even included the replies from 5 schools yet.
There is still time to include YOUR pledge and we have
enclosed a copy of the Children’s version just in case
you know a child who hasn’t seen it yet? If you would
like the Adult version please email jill@computer-solutions.co.uk.
We will publish all the results later this year. |
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Environmental Awards |
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One of the great things about being associated with
Civic Pride is the number of caring and hard working
residents we meet. Now is your chance to give
recognition to a group or individual who has been
improving Spelthorne’s environment. We have two awards –
one for adults and one for under 16s. Your candidate
could be either a church, school, youth group or an
individual who has done more than the average to improve
Spelthorne. Nominations by 31st December on the enclosed
form please. |
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Web Site |
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We have finally entered the 21st centaury and have a web
site. Go to
www.larkweb.co.uk/civicpride1.htm
and should you mislay your newsletter our programme it
can also be found on
www.allaboutWeybridge.co.uk |
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Surplus for schools |
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We are passing on the web address of an organisation
that re-distributes surplus equip to local schools. If
you have spare I.T. equip, furniture or office equipment
go to
www.everythingeducation.org and click on the
Blackboards Tab. If a school could use your surplus you
will be helping to stretch school budgets and finding
your unwanted kit a good home. |
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Litter News |
You never know what you will find when doing a Litter
Pick – girls from 6th Staines Guides discovered a vacuum
cleaner and a giant lorry tyre when tidying the Thames
Tow Path in April! Has anybody else found an odd item?
We are very grateful to all these groups who cleared a
grand total of 208 bags of litter from Spelthorne’s
streets, footpaths and ponds in the spring.
Clarendon School, Bishop Wand School
Tree Wardens from Staines, Shepperton and Sunbury,
Enigma, RARA
1st Stanwell Scouts, Stanwell WI
Charlton Village Residents Association
Friends of Sunbury Park
Girls Venture Corps Air Training
6th Staines Guides |
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“Make A Difference Month”
Tidy-Ups |
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BP Plc are sponsoring our Autumn Tidy-Ups, and we would
like to offer them our sincere thanks for their
continued support. To make it easier for you we have
extended the “MADD” to cover the whole of October. So,
if your group can help to improve our Borough and earn
much needed funds, just fill in the enclosed MADD
application form and return it at least 3 weeks before
you plan to work. We can lend you Litter Grabbers so
that you don’t need to touch the rubbish, sashes so that
you can be seen clearly, disposable gloves and bags.
Please think carefully about safety before organising
your litter collection and avoid potentially dangerous
areas. |
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Did you know that? |
 A plastic bag will be around for 20 years!
A discarded banana skin will litter the countryside for
2 years!
It takes 5 years for a crisp packet to disappear – which
is 10 times longer than it took the potato to grow!
A disposable nappy will outlive the baby before
decomposing – and a baby uses an average of 3900
nappies!
It costs 8 times more to remove chewing gum from the
pavement than it did to buy the whole packet! |
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Mc Donald’s Litter Free Schools |
There are many ways to tackle the litter problem and Mc
Donald’s Restaurants have come up with a great idea.
They launched Litter Free Schools last year in
partnership with us and Spelthorne Council. Even more
schools took part this year and we are delighted to be
able to publish the results.
Gold Awards
Ashford Park Primary, Hawdedale Infants
Chennestone Primary, Echelford Primary
St Michael’s RC Primary
Silver Awards
Saxon Primary
St Ignatius RC Primary, Spelthorne Junior
Clarendon County Primary, Kingscroft Junior
Bronze Awards
Town Farm Primary, St Nicholas Primary
Bishop Wand & Matthew Arnold Secondary
Poster Competition
And, the winner of the competition to design an eye
catching picture to persuade Mc Donald’s Drive Through
customers not to drop wrappings from their car was
Conan Thomas of Bishop Wand.
We hope that you will see his clever design on notice
boards all over Spelthorne as it is appropriate
everywhere not just at food outlets. |
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Free Bulbs |
Sponsored by Surrey County
Council’s North West Surrey Landscape Conservation
Programme.
We have a new sponsor this year – Surrey County
Council, and thanks to their generosity we are able to
continue this popular initiative. Daffodil and crocus
bulbs will be available free of charge to groups for
planting in their own grounds or in other specified
areas. Thanks to help from Spelthorne Council we have
been able to identify a large number of public areas
that can be planted with bulbs. If you would like a
copy of the list for your area please contact Jill
Stephens. We will notify you in writing once we know
when the bulbs are available.
Schools, churches, youth groups and residents
associations can again apply for free bulbs thanks to
the suport of Surrey County Council.
Yes - we would like some bulbs,
and we agree to the following conditions:-
1. Bulbs and trowels will be collected from 87 Briar
Road, Shepperton by prior arrangement. The bulbs are
likely to be available in late October.
2. Bulbs will be planted only in approved areas, and
where they can be seen by the public.
3. Three photographs will be taken of the planting,
which must be sent to us by 31st Dec 05.
4. Surrey County Council and Spelthorne Civic Pride
will be credited in all publicity.
5. Trowels - It is very important that you return the
trowels immediately you have finished, as many groups
will need to use the same tools over a very short
period.
Please return the reply slip by Friday 24th September
To Jill Stephens, SCPV, 87 Briar Road, Shepperton,
Middx, TW17 0JB.
Tel 01932-829460 (Day) Mon-Thurs 9-4, or 01932-564543
(Eve)
Email jill@computer-solutions.co.uk |
Reply slip
We wish to plant bulbs at
_________________________________________________________
The location must be completed.
Group
_________________________________________________________
Name
_________________________________________________________
Address
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Tel Day ____________________________
Evening____________________________
We would like to borrow trowels ___________________
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For more information |
Please contact
Jill Stephens, 87 Briar Road, Shepperton, TW17 0JB
Tel: 01932 829460 Mon-Thurs 9-4 or use email button
below |
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