THE FRIENDS OF CEMETERY & NATURE RESERVE

YEARLY NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2014

Welcome to an update from The Friends of and Nature Reserve.

It has been an extremely busy and productive year and we have been pleased to have seen so many people come to this valued green space throughout the past months.

The year started with the Friends Annual General Meeting on 7 th February. Keith Harker retired as Treasurer and Alison Brown was proposed as the new Treasurer. The Committee members were voted in unopposed and with no further changes.

Keith Harker carried out a Winter Bird Count on behalf of the Friends and the findings were passed to the RSPB who are collating information as part of a three year mapping of birds.

March saw members of the public helping with our Planting and Clean Up Day which was very much appreciated. Wildflowers and bulbs were planted around the Information Centre and the Butterfly Tree Meadow.

The group carried out a detailed survey of people using the cemetery. The results indicated a favourable account of what we are trying to achieve and Peter Kettlewell, former Head of Bereavement Services, accepted the survey which became part of the application for Green Flag status.

Peter Kettlewell mentioned that he had a pot of money he had earmarked for the renovaton of a selection of graves. We were constricted by the amount so we were only able to renovate five at the moment but we are delighted that this list may be added to. The memorial to Father Burn, who lies near the Nursery Lane Entrance, was renovated. An Interpretation Board was also put up. The founder of the Boys Club in this area Joe Walton, his grave memorial was renovated and with additional monies from The Joe Walton Trust, looks a fine tribute. Other gravestones around the Central Space set an example for people to see what can be achieved around the heart of the cemetery.

We made a Grant Application to Awards for All which was successful. We asked for £3,800.00 and were granted the full amount. This will help us with our work providing training, materials and events such as our very popular Bat Nights and Butterfly Surveys/Walks. The Award has enabled us to purchase bat detectors, humane mammal traps and Butterfly catch/release equipment, as well as a laptop and a computerised projector.

Middlesbrough Bereavement Services have included The Friends in putting up beautiful Interpretation Boards detailing some of our Bat and Butterfly species within the cemetery so the general public can be more informed. This works out well with our 5 year Management Plan which we are working towards with MBS.

On-going, we are visited every year to set standards and ideals to hold Green Flag Status. We have achieved this award for six consecutive years which we are all very proud of.

Member, Nigel Harrison and his daughter Sarah, carried out a mammal survey over four nights which resulted in confirmation of woodmice and voles near the ancient hedgerow within the cemetery. These surveys are continuing to build up a ‘map’ of these shy and endearing creatures.

Members planned Field Trips to Helmsley, Rievaulx Abbey and Durham where we visited the Cathedral and were priveleged to view The Lindisfarne Gospels Exhibition. We all took on a learning journey to try to understand the dedication to this area. We all had great days out and thoroughly enjoyed the experiences.

We took part and delivered events in ‘Discover ’ fortnight. Within the programme we made ourselves available holding an Open Day which highlighted the History and Nature Walks which are available on the doorstep of Linthorpe, Acklam and Ayresome Green Lane and how Nature is using the same ‘green space’ at different times.

We enjoyed a visit from members of the Saltburn U3A group who were enthralled at the diversity of Nature and Fauna within the Cemetery and History being the icing on the cake.

Jim Moody, Head of Parks and Countryside has been prominent in the revitalision of The Green Spaces Forum and members have enthusiastically taken on joining and meeting up with representatives of around seven Friends Groups who are all working together on a greener Cleveland area agenda drawing in services of voluntary groups, both individually and together.

On this note Dr. Susan Antrobus of Tees Valley Wildlife Trust has involved us in a huge project – Green Places – which she is putting together with the Heritage Lottery Fund. The group have attended a workshop with Sue and The HLF team in a vital induction which was successful. The first part we are planning now is the creation of a wildflower meadow near the Nursery Lane Entrance and the Information Centre, which we envisage will be a 18 months to 2 year project.

We applied for a grant from the First TransPennine Express/Forestry Commission Green Grants to help with the wildflower meadow project and we are pleased to say we were successful (with a rider from FTPE/FC that only the very best were granted as they had been unindated with applications).

September – A Talk on the Industrialisation of Middlesbrough from 1860-1950 with pictures was given by our Chair Derek Lewis. It went down very well, was extremely interesting and informative. Well done – thanks to the committee for various talks given through the year.

In October we took part in a conference on the WW1 Open Day at The Dorman Museum and have agreed to take part in the 100 Year Anniversary which will be a prominent year-long commemoration. It is expected to roll for four years, the duration of the war. November brought a visit to Saltholme RSPB for members to take part in the ERIC/NE for a presentation by Katherine Pinnock and other experts in the management of wildlife. We have become part the programme to record wildlife, especially bird sightings, in an accepted manner so our records can become part of the area’s statistics.

Jenny Braddy, our local Historian, gave an excellent Remembrance Day/History Walk. This was well- attended and led up to The Cross of Sacrifice at 11am on 11 th November on a beautiful Autumn day. Thank you to Jenny and to Geoff for his support.

As part of the WW1 Centenary Commemerations the Co-operative Funeralcare have donated one million poppy seeds to us - and more nationally. Our gardener, Paul Holmes, prepared six poppy meadows and The Friends have sown these to commemorate our soldiers. We have had frost these last few nights and Peter Grainger, one of our founder members, has said the vital ingredient for poppy seeds to germinate is frost so hopefully we will see a display this year. The Co-op Funeralcare, Relph’s Funeral Undertakers and Rose Funerals are sponsoring us in our programme in commemorating ‘The Great War’.

Our webpage is undergoing revitalisation and the address is having to be changed: FoLC-NR.co.uk. It is now also possible to follow the activities of FoLC & NR on facebook: Friends of Linthorpe Cemetery – with putting this on we have had hits as high as 1450.

Our programme for 2014 – we have had to draw back from some activities as we are only a voluntary group: we do not want to overstretch ourselves and fail. We would rather be conservative and produce high quality activities for you to enjoy.

Children’s Activities Workshop – these are replacing our Green Day /Environmental Day. We are moving on from these well-known events to a new concept to us with Children’s Activities Days in June and July – please see our Program for dates. We are trying to involve, excite and engender the interest of young people.

If you would like any further information please contact our Secretary: [email protected] tel: 01642883761/07914428704 or you would be most welcome to come along to our Wednesday meetings at The Hebrew Prayer House, Ayresome Green Lane (opposite the old General Hospital site) from 12.00-2.00pm. Our Wednesday meetings will alternate at different times during the year with the Information Centre, please see notices on the door/information board in the Central Space. Our monthly meeting is held on the first Tuesday of every month at The HPH @ 6.45pm.

THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR THEIR HELP

AND TO EVERYBODY WHO CAME TO OUR EVENTS

FROM FoLC & NR COMMITTEE