Friends of Meadowside
Although you may think Friends of Meadowside have been very quiet recently, plenty has been going on behind the scenes. This has included work with Horsham District Council and other organisations to produce a draft Management Plan for the Meadow (see below for more detail).
Last week we held a meeting at Foxmead Court and were delighted to welcome several people who have responded to our plea for more help, and for more committee members. However, we do still need more people willing to commit a little time to help us to keep going.
Please note that being on the committee does not mean you need to take a role as treasurer / secretary etc but you will need to sign our constitution and take an active role in decision making. That said we do actually need a treasurer on our committee so if anyone in their current or previous life has managed any accounts / budgets it would be wonderful if you could help us out here – we do not have huge volumes of financial activity.
The Draft Management Plan:
The Plan was put together by Horsham District Council following meetings with ourselves, the Environment Agency, Wild Trout Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, South Downs National Park, Storrington Parish Council, Storrington Conservation Society and Storrington in Bloom. Rachel is collecting comments and observations from people living near the Meadow and anybody else with an interest in the area. If you would like a copy of the plan, please get in touch and we will send you one.
The Plan is very detailed and takes into account the key issues raised in the survey we carried out last December such as litter bins and dog mess, flooding, access, and parking. It also sets out plans for the future maintenance and enhancement of the area.
Woody debris workshop:
In the course of our research we are learning much about the history and the wildlife of the area. On Wednesday 23rd September we are proposing to hold a workshop for volunteers organised by Sussex Wildlife Trust & Wild Trout Trust. Please contact Sue or Rachel for more details, and if you’re “up” on local history, or just interested, Sue would love to hear from you.
Storrington in Bloom:
We continue to take an active role in Storrington in Bloom this year, in being on their working committee and supporting their clean up days (the next will take place on Sunday 19th July – 10am everyone welcome meet at the bus stand). The judges from South & South East in Bloom are visiting Storrington centre on Tuesday 21st July.
This year Friends of Meadowside have chosen to enter the meadow area in the RHS “It’s Your Neighbourhood” initiative. The scheme is part of Britain in Bloom and supports community groups in cleaning up and greening up their immediate local environment. Assessors from South & South East in Bloom will be visiting the Meadow and the Play Area on Thursday 16th July. In preparation for this we are holding a Clear-up Session on the Meadow on Saturday 11th July between 10.00am and 12.00. Please come and join us – we want the Meadow looking its best! Tools and equipment will be provided, as well as refreshments.
Waitrose Community Matters:
Thank you to Waitrose and to everybody who put the green discs in to the Friends of Meadowside box before Christmas. As a result Waitrose donated £380.00 which is absolutely brilliant.