20th July 2012

Kingfisher Project celebrates another successful year

Pupils from Thomas Alleynes High School in Uttoxeter and De Ferrers Academy joined the chair of the Kingfisher Project and other community partners, braving the rain at a barbeque held in the community garden, to celebrate another year of activities aimed at improving the local environment.  

The Kingfisher group has this year been active in creating a number of raised bed allotments to enable locals to grow their own fruit and vegetables.

With the help of pupils from Thomas Alleynes High School, De Ferrers Academy and Fountains High School, on a work experience programme, the area has been planted out with some 420 trees provided by the Woodland Trust to mark the Diamond Jubilee. The group has also created an irrigation system to provide the allotments with accessible water at all times, erected a greenhouse which is used as an educational facility teaching about healthy eating through cultivation and growing of foodstuffs. Produce has also been offered for low cost sale to the local community to generate funds to sustain the group.

Other activities that the schools have been involved in, include the ongoing embankment clearance and regular nature trails to identify the plants and fauna in the area.

The Kingfisher Project, a resident led community group which works alongside community partnerships and local schools was set up 6 years ago to improve the environmental appearance of a drainage waterway running through the heart of Horninglow.  During that time the partnership has focused on nature conservation and biodiversity, development of the Kingfisher Trail for leisure activities, educational resources for residents and schools, the flow of drainage water and use as a communal facility.

The once run down, neglected waterway is now a recognised nature trail with sculptures and planted areas. Birds and insects are in abundance and the return of Kingfishers to the area is an added bonus. The Kingfisher project has not, however, limited itself to the trail itself and has diversified into other projects and activities to the benefit of local residents, improving the quality of life for the residents in the area. 

Speaking at the barbeque, Keith Lemare, chair of the Kingfisher Project thanked all of the community partners who have participated and supported the project during 2012. He said, “The backing of the likes of Trent & Dove, East Staffs CVS, National Forest, The Woodland Trust and the Community Garden Care Project, is vitally important to the Kingfisher Project, to enable it to make a difference to local people’s lives. The work experience programme has offered a fantastic opportunity for the pupils at De Ferrers, Thomas Alleynes and Fountains Schools to get hands on experience in environmental work and bring them closer to nature. Their enthusiasm has certainly helped to make this year a massive success.”

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