Hi Celia, please tell us a little about how your project began?
Our beautiful churchyard and my love of nature inspired me to co-ordinate a God’s Acre Programme which has now existed for over 15 years. It first started with CFGA offering surveys of our trees and, at a later date, a lichen survey when over 70 species were identified on our headstones and church walls. We then welcomed the CFGA Minibus filled with wonderful, willing volunteers. They were led by Hilary Smith and worked enthusiastically in our churchyard.
Hilary offered us advice on grassland management and gradually over the years, we have increased our meadow areas. We now have bird and hedgehog boxes, also a fabulous bug hotel and four enormous compost bins built by our local volunteers. After a few years, the minibus of volunteers was withdrawn (due to cut backs) but that was fortuitously replaced by a pool of between 20 and 30 local volunteers who now regularly help in our churchyard.
Who do you normally rely on to help manage your beautiful churchyard?
At least five times a year, we hold “God’s Acre Taskforce Days”. We have a core of about eight loyal workers and are usually supplemented by extra local volunteers, especially on sunny days when up to fifteen people may turn up! It’s very relaxed and welcoming with hot drinks and cake provided. We start at 10am but helpers stay for as long or short as they wish. They also choose what job they would like to do and so take pride in the difference they have made. They may choose to weed the “Bee and Butterfly Garden”, clear away unwanted brambles, or remove saplings and nettles under one of our ancient yew trees. Our churchyard is very big so there’s plenty of choice! We often have a day cutting the meadows with scythes, raking up the hay and putting it in one of our huge compost bins.
What made you invite the D of E students along to a Task Day?
We already had a good working relationship with Trewern Outdoor Centre which is situated a few metres from our churchyard. Every week, a bus filled with primary school children from Barking and Essex arrives and they have a week of “outdoor adventure” sometimes including the church and churchyard treasure hunts which I have provided. The D of E students staying at Trewern at half-term is a new venture and has already proved a great success! We welcomed fifteen DOE students completing the “ecology” section of their award alongside two teachers and ten local volunteers.
