28 members & 2 guests present. Apologies received from J Cox & J Oldham.
Norman Clyde-Watson welcomed members & guests & gave the following notices -
Matters arising
- Heathland. None of the Ridge was deemed suitable for establishment of a heathland due to too high PH (acidic ) conditions -therefore the project discontinued.
- Bridle Path. Nearly complete with drainage & soak-away. Surrounding areas have been restored.
- Wild Flower Area. Has been seeded at the top of Sandy Lane entrance. A grassland area had been seeded by volunteers earlier in March. Additional flower seed may be added in due course. A further area could be done opposite that already done if finance could be found. Many thanks to volunteers & Broxtowe BC for help & seeds.
- Finance. Thanks to Stan Heptinstall for £200 from his discretionary fund & to the Mayor of Broxtowe for a £ 100 donation to the Friends our finances are now secure for 2-3 years including insurance.
- Meetings. It had been proposed that 2 or 3 meetings a year be held, but the Memorial Hall has not proved available on Mondays. Alternatives of either days or venues may be found - watch this space. 1 or 2 walks may be arranged over the summer - details to follow.
Main Item
John Appleton & Norman Clyde-Watson then introduced the work undertaken for the application for a Green Pennant Award. NB - Publicity for this item had been misinterpreted by the Evening Post suggesting this was on the History of Bramcote!
Norman circulated copies of the requirements for the award, along with maps of the area.
The application document had to contain reasons for the application together with statements detailing environmental issues, health & safety, cleanliness, biodiversity, achievements etc. Records kept by John & agreements with Broxtowe BC supported this documentation. Clare Clyde-Watson gave readings which illustrated how the area had a very rural background & why it was important to retain this 'open space'.
Having completed the work on the documentation, it was then a surprise to find that an application form had to be completed - another 12 pages!! In all Norman & John spent many hours completing the documents needed & we now await the outcome.
The award is for a year & then the process has to be repeated...
Items arising from the above
Health & Safety on Work Days
- Volunteers should work in pairs.
- First Aid kits & mobile phone to be available.
- Volunteers should report when leaving site(s)
John & Norman are to be congratulated & thanked for the enormous amount of time & energy which they put into this application on behalf of the Friends. Special Thanks also to Clare & Sandra for their support.
The meeting closed at 9:15pm after refreshments & everyone had the chance to peruse the documents submitted & to view photos & maps of the area over the ages to the present day.
Additional Notes
- There will be a Bat Walk through the woods of Bramcote Park on 14th May at 9pm. To reserve a place, contact Tim Crawford at Broxtowe Brough Council.
- July 19th Sunday 2pm start - Plans for a special event to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of 'The Friends of Bramcote Ridge'. Details to follow.
- September - probably during the first week, a walk may be arranged at the Toton site which is supported by a fellow group - 'The Friends of Toton Fields'.
- Early Notification - this year’s AGM will be on Monday 2nd November at the Memorial Hall.
The Friends are always looking for extra pairs of hands to help out or to simply support their work, so...
- to find out when the next work session will take place, click here, or
- to find out about becoming a member please contact us here, or
- to discover what goes into managing the sites click here.
