It’s a long and winding road from a kitchen table discussion in Damgate Street to renewal at Rothbury Park! But as Greening Wymondham celebrates its tenth year, it’s a road we’ve travelled with hope, learning so much along the way.
We started as a small group, perturbed like so many by dire environmental forecasts. “There was no point in being overwhelmed,” says one of our original members, Ann Rostron, “and a lot of point in working on what we could help achieve locally.”
Tree planting was an ambition, but on a scale to make a difference. The trouble was, land was in short supply, with open spaces and fields reserved for their development potential. Trees for Schools was an early hit – giving every primary school leaver a native garden sapling to plant.
And in the early days, Rothbury Park looked promising; Wymondham Town Council wanted a formal report. So we raised funds to commission a plan for the park. It’s taken ten years, but people are beginning to see the results in the paths, trees, play equipment and planting.
The management of Kett’s Park Wood also got off the ground; we raised £25,000 alongside the council for the resurfacing of the once muddy and treacherous path through the wood.
Another project which swiftly got local support was the conversion of a scrubby and rubbish-laden area by the side of Browick Park into a community orchard. The final result is a tribute to the many volunteers who have worked there fortnightly over the last four years and show no signs of stopping. It’s almost entirely self-sufficient, with rainwater collection and compost bins – and a five-star bug hotel. It’s won an RHS award and featured heavily in regional awards we’ve won, but most importantly, it is a brilliant place for anyone to enjoy.
Then there’s Friarscroft Wood near Windmill Surgery. The pond has been expanded and we’re hoping a pontoon will be added so everyone can peer down to enjoy the dragonflies and frogs. Our efforts have seen the county wildlife site expanded here to include the wildlife pond, and a new county wildlife site declared at Kett’s Park Wood.
Our work with trees has now spun off into an active Tree Group, seeking to map, promote and protect the town’s trees. It is planning to launch a set of guided tree walks for townsfolk and visitors alike – with the type, history and value of the tree included.
And one of our first activities was organising community litter picks, which we continue with Wymondham in Bloom. Our first one was in 2017.
If you want to join us in celebrating nine years of this, Saturday 21st March is our Wymondham Big Spring Clean, starting at the Abbey Hall. It’s on from 10am-12:30pm. Cakes and buns afterwards!
We also have a small River Group who test the Tiffey regularly for pollutants, keeping an eye on the health of the river and reporting excesses directly to the Environment Agency. E.coli results we report directly to you via Facebook and Instagram, with a public notice board under discussion with the council.
Key to our success this last decade has been our volunteers. We have learned that 5-year-olds love wheelbarrow rides and climbing piles of woodchip – and that everyone enjoys a tea break. We consider biscuits mandatory!
If you’d like to join in and receive our emails about the various projects, visit the contact section on our website and let us know. Or follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see when events are on and come along.
In the next issue of Wymondham Magazine: a little on what we’ve done behind the scenes to promote town and county-wide responses to the issue of climate change and nature recovery, and what our plans are for the future.
From tiny acorns, some fair-sized saplings grow. Give us time, and we aim for full oak status!
