This will be our 19th year of operation, so we have decided to rejig our days. The Orchard has the third SATURDAY in the month, while Down Grange Meadow has the second Sunday and the last SUNDAY in the month. Like last year, we have dropped our work parties on the Old Hedgerow. We have abandoned our Thursday afternoon sessions as we were not getting the volunteers we used to. Last year, the average age of the volunteers on these sessions was around 80!

We meet at the Homesteads Rd entrance – we start at 10.00 and go through until approximately 12.30. Some days, if we are feeling enthusiastic or have a task we want to finish, we may go – we have been known to finish at 13.30 or later! You can leave at any time during the session.

All tools are provided but you may want to bring your own gloves. We will provide “rigger” gloves if we expect you work with bramble or rose briar!

These dates break with our tradition of doing the sites in-turn, Meadow – Orchard – Hedgerow. Traditionally, we have managed to get five full “cycles” across the sites. In the past, we have had sessions into April, but this is getting too close to nesting so, we have decieded to stop at the end of March.

The reason for the change is that we have the start of an Orchard only group that we wish to encourage. Consequently, we will have all our Orchard work parties on a Sunday, with the most of these occurring before Christmas.

We will concentrate on the Meadow but the Hedgerow still gets its fair share of work parties, but only on a Thursday.