Mumbles Green Action Team Finalists in

Tiday Wales Awards 2008

Our spring litter pick behind Oystermouth Primary School earlier this year, was judged worthy of a finalists place at the prestigious Tidy Wales Awards in Cardiff last month. The awards are run by Keep Wales Tidy.

Although we didn't win, we were very proud to reach the finals. Thank you to all the volunteers that took part.

Pictured from L to R

Robin Bonham, Cindy Hayward, Sylvia Beale from MGAT

Sally Gronow (Welsh Water) and Jane Davidson AM

 

Oystermouth Castle Woods

 

During the summer, Oystermouth Castle Woods in Mumbles was presented with the Green Pennant Award. This little woodland is owned by City & County of Swansea but has been managed by Mumbles Development Trust for the past 3 years as part of a project funded by Cycoed (Forestry Commission).

When the Trust took it over it was a prime site for fly-tipping, hardly used, dark and overgrown with no safe pathway or clear access.

The Trust has opened up the woodland, and thinned the tree canopy, held several volunteer led litter picks, created new wheelchair accessible gates and pathways, and installed picnic tables. There is now a route through from Mumbles Road to Oystermouth Castle.

The neighbouring allotment site at Norton Leisure Gardens has been re-vitalised and re-opened to provide more much sought after allotments.

The involvement of local residents and volunteers throughout the project has turned this neglected area into a busy ‘Community Woodland’ and a new haven for people and wildlife just off the busy Mumbles Road. We were very pleased to have Iolo Williams there last year to open part of the pathway.

At the top of the woods is the new Mumbles Community Orchard, which is managed by the Trusts’ volunteer group the Mumbles Green Action Team. It was planted a year ago with local varieties of fruit, as part of a project led by City & County of Swansea’s Parks Department.

The Green Action Team met last month, to work on the orchard and to be presented with a grant from O2 It’s Your Community. The orchard was strimmed and tidied while group members Frank Rott and Alex Hayward assembled 2 compost bins. The bins were paid for by part of the O2 grant, and their representative came to present the cheque to Laurence Hopes.

 

 

 

For more information about volunteering in the woodlands, or the Community Orchard, contact the Mumbles Green Action Team on 01792 361012.