I’ve had a lot of involvement with community groups in the area where we live and this week I’ve had the chance to help make a difference both as owner and senior guide of Northern Experience Wildlife Tours and as Chair of The Friends of Choppington Community Woods. Both organisations have been partners in a week of activities based in Choppington Woods. Litter-picking, path marking, bird-box building, creative natural art and a nature walk have all featured in the last three days. Members of the community who wanted to help have come along and an impressive list of organisations have been involved; Wansbeck District Council (and their Play Ranger Team), Northumberland County Council, Groundwork Northumberland, Wansbeck Works, Choppington Welfare, the Healthy Living Centre and the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. The organisations that have provided the manpower to carry out the ‘make-over’ tasks deserve special mention; Air Cadets, Army Cadets and the Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service Community Safety Academy have all worked tirelessly to make the woods a better place for the local community (and anyone else who wants to visit them as well). I can’t really talk about the activities week without mentioning Fiona Wardlaw from Wansbeck District Council. Fiona’s project management has managed to bring together so many diverse groups that “The Friends of…” will be eternally grateful for the way in which the profile of ‘our’ woods has been raised. Thank you.
As Chair of FOCCW I’m busy with grant applications that, if successful, will enable us to make further improvements; habitat management, multi-user paths, a panoramic viewpoint, education packs for local schools and a boardwalk with a safe, secure pond-dipping area are all part of our vision for the reserve. And that’s what I do in my spare time…