Congratulations and a huge thank you from all here at Shropshire Outdoor Partnerships to Cleobury Mortimer Footpath Association on the celebration of their Silver Jubilee back in October 2015.  In 1990 Paul French and Bill Duley organised the first meeting of the newly formed Association in Paul’s house. With just 9 members and the active support and help of the farmers and landowners they set about making the footpath network around Cleobury accessible to the townspeople. The CMFA was one of the first P3 groups set up in the County and have proved a formidable force in maintaining the Rights of Way network in and around Cleobury.  The group have also been intrinsic in creating and promoting a series of "Cleobury Country Walks" all of which are available to download form our new website Shropshires Great Outdoors. 

The occasion was marked with a celebratory dinner for both founding and current members and the evening was a great success.  27 members attended including all eight founder members who were given lifetime membership on the night. All of them stood and told stories about their long term involvement with CMFA P3 group. One amusingly brought his rucksack with a huge archive of published walks, photos and records including the minutes of the first meeting.

For more information on on what the group are up to these days and how the group started in the words of their founders visit the CMFA website.

On Wednesday 24th February, 9 members of the Long Mynd & District Bridleways Association tackled the Bridleway above Wilderhope Manor, this being part of the Jack Mytton Way. Overhanging branches and a couple of fallen trees were making it difficult to ride along this route without ducking and diving to avoid being swept off of one's horse. 

And along the bridleway which leads down the driveway to Wilderhope Manor is a gate at the side of the cattle grid which had become so embedded in the mud from the bank at the side, that it only allowed for a very small pony to pass through - or a horse and rider, both holding in their breath!

The overhanging branches were cut back, wire was rolled up and placed away from the track, tree trunks were sawn and the small gate opening dug out to allow for full size horses! 

Wendy Salter, Park Officer for The Mere at Ellesmere for the last 7 years is taking early retirement and we wish her all the very best in whatever she does next.

Wendy’s leaving will be a sad loss to the Mere as she has brought to the job a level of dedication and commitment that will be hard to follow. Seeing issues and dealing with them before they become a problem. She facilitated thousands of volunteer hours into the park and created and managed the Mere Journal, a popular Facebook page. The Mere has never looked better or been appreciated more by the many people who love the place and this is largely down to Wendy’s dedication to the site. Effective management of a popular park such as the Mere is helped enormously by taking the time to talk to people, to have that constant presence and welcoming smile and of course the pocket full of dog treats. Coupled with this are the numerous improvements to the park Wendy has coordinated, from the restoration of the old Arboretum to the creation of wildflower meadows and the achievement of Green Flag designation, it all adds to the progressive, can-do approach that people appreciate.

Thankfully we will be replacing The Mere Park Officer and we are confident all the good work Wendy has done will continue and The Mere will continue to shine, hopefully with Wendy’s continued and valued input, the kettle is always on Wendy.

Shaun Burkey (Greenspace Officer North)

"Early retirement… again!  I retired once already (from Barclays bank). Perhaps I will do like Frank Sinatra & keep making comebacks!

Back in 2007, I came to the Ellesmere Country Park a bit by accident.  Having just moved from Herefordshire to “up north” I needed to earn some funds but was only qualified to work in a bank (never again!!).  Finding unqualified part time work seemed the answer and I saw an advert for a Site Attendant in Ellesmere.  Having wisely dropped the “power dressing” interview outfit for a pair of jeans & some boots, I spent an hour with Gareth Eggar & Angela Jones, persuading them that I wasn’t overqualified.  So 12 hours a week, cleaning loos, litter picking & wrestling with rubbish bins it was and strangely, I loved it!  Bit by bit I was given more work, first 15hrs, and then 18, up to 25.  I dealt with all the day to day stuff, plus facilitating events, working with volunteers – it was all great fun!

Working with the various volunteers has been an amazing experience and we have all devoted ourselves to improving the park for the benefit of people & wildlife combined. To that aim, we have achieved a lot and hopefully that good work will continue – even in these times of dire financial straits.

What am I proud of? Reed Warblers nesting in the growing reed beds, Otters raising young, The “Oak Grove” of 16 oaks, planted for the future, are now growing well, the “Blossom Grove” of native trees to give insects a stepping stone, the (mostly) rejuvenated arboretum which is now in its 3rd year of clearing & replanting. The fun to be had on The Moors clearing it of scrub & opening to sunshine, all the overgrown areas that have been opened up so people can enjoy them, the Bee Friendly garden,  and lastly, all the friends that I have made in the park or via the facebook page Mere Journal.

I haven’t done anything over the years, the volunteers – from 13yrs old to 75yrs, have done it all. I have just stood around giving moral support (and choccie biccies!)"

The “Old Arboretum” part of The Mere Country Park at Ellesmere had been left in a poor condition after many years of little or no management. Thanks to volunteers, it is being cleared of invasive laurel, rhododendron & scrub holly to expose specimen trees and allow light to reach the ground.

To make the area pleasant for people, wildlife & insects, volunteers have been very busy planting. To date they have put in snowdrops & bluebells, primroses, wild garlic, crab apple, honeysuckle, wild cherry, wayfaring trees, rowan, hazel, wild service trees, hornbeam & lilac.  To find out more about what's happening around The Mere visit their Facebook page.

In the photograph are (standing) volunteers Tony, Jack, John, & Sheena, (kneeling) Wendy (Park Officer)

Severn Valley Country Park (Alveley)

After taking a well-earned rest over Christmas our volunteers have finished off the improvements to the Easy Access Trail and have started work on some other tasks. They have recently cleared the boundary fence of Spring Pieces Meadow from saplings and shrubs. These were growing through the fence and causing damage to it. They have also been busy clearing fallen trees brought down by the winter storms. A slightly different task which they got involved in was helping to empty the loft in the Visitor Centre. This was a great job for a wet afternoon. We discovered lots of interesting things, including various fancy dress outfits!  For more information about Severn Valley Country Park click on this link.

Shropshire Wild Team’s Team Alpacas are going from strength to strength and are definitely making their mark in their area. At present the team membership has risen to 12 wild men and women. They have established an ongoing working partnership with both the National Trust on the Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge as well as the Discovery Centre in Craven Arms. The team are doing their bit for both partners with lots of clearance work at the Discovery Centre as well as essential maintenance down at Carding Mill and on the Wenlock Edge. The team recently received a great endorsement from Patrick Edwards, NT Ranger, thanking them for their hard work and highlighting his enjoyment and pleasure at working alongside them. Shropshire Council’s Greenspace Officers and the Rights of Way Team have also benefitted from both their skills and enthusiasm from the work they have carried out in Church Stretton’s Rectory Woods as well as various kissing gate installations in the area. In the pipeline are new partnerships with the AONB’s River Clun project and with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s local reserves. They are also due to revisit earlier projects such as the Long Mynd’s Red Grouse count, the Curlew survey around Clee Hill as well as the Pied flycatcher and Redstart bird box survey around Ratlinghope. The bar is certainly being set high for 2016.   

Hope Valley

The Green Team spent a day clearing trees and brash at a 50% angle in Hope Valley Quarry which is part of a Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve.  The clearance was done to facilitate access to the exposed rock so geologists and visitors can see and access the sandstone and Llandovery series shale.  The rock in this area comes from the Ordovician and Silurian periods (millions of years ago).  At the start of the Silurian period the earth saw one of her major extinction periods when up to 60% of marine life died.  Although the work was challenging the newly exposed feature is a great asset to the site and will spark interest for geologists and visitors alike.  For more information on geology around Shropshire click on Shropshire Geology.

Poles Coppice

The Green Team found themselves in Poles Coppice, just on the edge of Pontesbury, an interesting if not damp place and was the team’s first outing to this site.  The clearing work here intended to open up areas to create a mosaic of habitats removing willow, birch and alder to enhance the site’s already thriving butterfly population.  The team was working in partnership with the Stiperstones and Corndon Landscape Partnership Team with Joe Penfold manning the chainsaw for the larger and more challenging trees…..and of course a fire was built to remove the brash and warm the damp air.  For more information about the work of the Stipertones and Corndon LPS follow the link.

Nesscliffe

The Elite Crew headed for the higher ground of Nesscliffe Hill in December, after their planned work along the River Severn ended up under water, to carry on with the endless, yet satisfying, job of rhododendron bashing.  Rhododendron clearance is a mainstay of the programme of work at Nesscliffe due to the prolific invasive nature of the plant with its ability to both sucker from the root and its abundant seed production.  The work involved both cutting down and tearing up roots and then burning the arisings, ideal work for a cold December day. 

Oswestry

Working in partnership with the Cambrian Heritage Railway Project just on the edge of Oswestry the Elite Crew set about clearing the embankment alongside the line to keep if free from the creeping vegetation with the slashers, loppers and a brushcutter. It is fortunate that despite nearly 38 years having elapsed since the last British Rail passenger trains ran to Oswestry, a surprising amount of Oswestry’s rich railway heritage survives today. The importance of Cambrian Heritage Railways’line as a semi-natural habitat has long been recognised. Over the last 5 years, CHR has emphasised the importance of the railway as a valuable and in places largely undisturbed wildlife corridor.

No not the BBC programme!…These are the voices of Church Stretton Walking for Health and Next Steps walkers who responded to a survey carried out by the Mayfair Community Centre a few months ago. The survey aimed to find out what the walks mean to them.

Walking for Health has been running for over 13 years in Church Stretton, it is based at the Mayfair Community Centre and a variety of graded health walks go out from the centre every week.

Over 97% of walkers who participated in the survey cited as a benefit of the walks that they have made new friends, and over 91% said they have fun, over 50 % said they feel healthier and 100% said they would recommend it to a friend.

Here are some of the walker’s comments about the walks and also comments from the volunteers about what leading the walks means to them:

‘Helps you feel good’

‘Friendly welcoming people’

‘Caters for all abilities, cost free, regular and well organised.’

‘Good way to make a lot of friends in the area and keep fit at the same time’

‘Regular exercise has improved my joint movement and flexibility’

‘The scheme is very well organised. Walks always run on specified days and are led by qualified leaders. This a result of continuous effort and care by Trish Howard’

‘The walk leaders are excellent, a great scheme, well done all’

‘Friendship and as a leader the opportunity to put something back.’

‘Walking for Health offers a non – walker the opportunity of an easy way to join a walk where they will find encouragement and friendship’

‘Easier to walk with company’

 ‘Open to all varying ability and health’

‘Regular weekly walks, same time, same place, friendly leaders.’

‘Meeting people through WFH has helped to make me feel part of the community and led to me becoming involved in other community projects.’

‘Have led walks for many years but leading WFH walks has made me think more of others and I think more considerate.’

‘Healthy and friendly. A nice form of exercise’.

‘I have made many new friends, been on a Training Day to lead walks, and I know I have support from Trish and Helen.’

Sounds good? Then why not take a look at our website Shropshire's Great Outdoors and check out where your local walks are and come along; we would love to see you.

And, if you would like to help out with the walks, then contact Helen d’Albert, via the website or on 01743 255059 to find out about our how to volunteer, it would be great to speak to you.