Volunteers team up to create new Arleston wildlife habitat
A team of volunteers have been building a new home for wildlife at an Arleston park as part of a social value project.
The group of employees from Telford-based Lyreco UK have scarified and seeded a new wildflower meadow area at John Broad Avenue Park, Arleston.
Once fully-established the new zone will be a species-rich corner of the park full of nectar for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.
This volunteering project, co-ordinated by Telford & Wrekin Council’s Environment Community Liaison Officer Rick Shaw, is part of the Council’s commitment to give more areas back to nature.
The wildflower meadow is close to a play area in John Broad Avenue, which was reopened by Telford & Wrekin Council last year following an exciting makeover led by residents and children.
Telford Green Spaces Partnership is the collective group for 'friends of' groups across the borough and allows them to network, share ideas and take part in volunteering activities.
There are currently 14 active ‘friends of’ groups in Telford and Wrekin which support a wide range of voluntary activities in the borough’s parks and green spaces as well as local community events.
Councillor Carolyn Healy (Lab) Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Green Spaces, Heritage and Leisure, said: “We’re delighted that a team from Lyreco have helped to establish a new wildlife habitat.
“Our parks and green spaces are very important areas of our borough and hopefully this space in Arleston will now become a haven for bees and other insects.
“We are really grateful to all the volunteers who gave up their time to take part in the volunteering sessions and it supports our commitment to make Telford and Wrekin a greener place to live.”
Lyreco UK is the European leader in the distribution of office supplies and workplace solutions for businesses and the team took part in the volunteering activity to benefit the local and wider community.
Mickey Baker, Lyreco’s Head of Non-Catalogue, said: “As employees we are all entitled to two voluntary days a year so several teams joined forces and reached out to Telford & Wrekin Council who quickly responded with some options and we were keen to get involved.
“We all got stuck in, had some fun and are looking forward to seeing how the wildflowers look this time next year, maybe even this summer.
“We are all keen to do more with the Council especially if it means improving areas or encouraging wildlife.
“We’d like to say a huge thanks to Rick who communicated well and organised the project very efficiently.”
