Wow! We haven’t had a catch-up in a while. So, there’s a lot to get through. Hold on tight…
In a heart-warming ceremony in the Council Chamber organized by the Council for Voluntary Services, volunteers from FOTV were recognised for their invaluable contributions to the community. The event, held in the presence of the Mayor of West Lancashire, saw numerous dedicated individuals from many different groups receiving certificates of appreciation.
Pete Meadows, Mike Flaherty, Cornelius Jones and myself received our certificates for the work we do with FOTV and Team Tawd.
Claire Cooper, Chair of FOTV, received her award for the countless hours she spends volunteering with the Skelmersdale Park Run and her efforts are instrumental in its success.
The event was a testament to the power of volunteerism and the positive impact these individuals have on West Lancashire. Their contributions not only enrich the community but also inspire others to join in and make a difference.
At the beginning of July, FoTV volunteers teamed up with Ranger Chris to tackle a variety of tasks to enhance our wonderful landscape. Half the team focussed on combatting the invasive Himalayan Balsam and then thinned out the apples in the orchard, ensuring a good healthy crop later in the year. Meanwhile, the others took on the job of cleaning and painting the picnic tables, which had unfortunately been vandalised with graffiti. They didn’t stop there, they went on to strim the pathway alongside the allotments and cut back the Hawthorn hedge. Thank you everyone for all your hard work and dedication.
The next day, despite heavy showers there was a great turn out of dedicated volunteers for July’s FoTV volunteering session. Their task was to tackle the invasive Himalayan Balsam which is rampant throughout the valley. The group was joined by two members of The Friends of Low Hall, Hindley, Mick and Dean, who came to lend a hand and meet everyone.
This years Green Fayre was a resounding success with so many people turning out to enjoy the two day event.
Many thanks to The Rangers and all the volunteers whose hard work and dedication made the event possible and, of course, to all the people who came along to support and enjoy the Fayre. Events like this foster a strong sense of community as families, friends and neighbours come together to explore all the stalls, activities and workshops.
As the end of July approached, Team Tawd and Ranger Chris joined forces again this morning and strimmed along the edges of the brick path to prevent it becoming overgrown. Thank you all.
Next up, the River Tawd riverfly surveys are all complete for another month. We had some amazing discoveries. We spotted 5 Stone Loach. It’s been a really good day for fish sightings down the Tawd. Long may it continue.
We’ve had a busy start to August – On Friday, a group of us attended the fantastic SWLICAN networking event at the Ecumenical Centre and another group had a deep clean of the FoTV classroom hub, ready for the Save Our Wild Isles Angling event.
And last, but not least – The Save Our Wild Isles Angling Day in Tawd Valley Park was a real success. Local anglers, Friends of Tawd Valley, Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside. and the West Lancashire Borough Council Parks & Countryside Ranger Service came together to learn about some of the invasive non-native species (INNS) that are currently effecting our green and blue spaces. A big thank you to Ian Doyle from the Angling Trust for the amazing and informative presentation and talk he delivered. After Ian’s talk we headed into the valley for a litter pick stopping off at the River Tawd and Half-Mile Lake to discuss how best to continue forward with the SOWI project. Thank you to everyone who came to show their support.
As always we want to thank you for taking the time to read all about what’s been happening down in Tawd Valley Park. Come back soon for more updates.
