West Parley Residents Association

WPRA Volunteers

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WPRA Volunteers keep West Parley looking good.

Residents of West Parley are very active in a number of different projects devised by WPRA designed to make our lovely village an even more attractive place to live. Over 60 volunteers working in various groups are making a big impact on the appearance of the village, many of whom give a good deal of their time on a regular basis.

Floral Displays
Floral displays on the railings at Parley Cross and in floor-standing boxes in New Road opposite the Porsche garage have been in evidence over the last two years and have made a very colourful spectacle throughout the year. Originally these planters were planted by Golden Acres Nursery but this year WPRA has taken over the task of purchasing and planting the plants in the troughs and hanging baskets with all of the work being undertaken by volunteer residents. want to join us?
get some exercise, fresh air and good company.
call Alan MacDonald
01202 571349These troughs are maintained throughout the year by a group of volunteers who water the plants twice a week. Porsche personnel kindly provide and maintain the plants opposite their premises.

Volunteers involved in the project include: Mary Mogg, Jenny Mogg, Frank Trollope, Trevor Sams, Lynda Appleton, Chrissie Davis, Michele Williams, Dorothy Adams, Stuart Baker, Richard Heaslip and John Cullen.

WPRA is very grateful to the owners of Herbies Chip Shop and Apple Conservatories at Parley cross for allowing us to use their water supplies for watering our planters and to Porsche for funding and maintaining the plantings outside their pemises..

The Working Party
Two groups of volunteers meet for a couple of hours every fortnight to clear up the village in a variety of different ways. Over the last couple of years these groups have cleared the main road pavements through the village to their original width and removed bambles and overgrowing weeds from the pavement. This is an on-going taskwhich needs constant effort to maintain the pavements in a clear condition.want to get involved?
call Alan Macdonald
01202 571349
we need your help These groups have also planted more daffodils, which the Parish Council has purchased, in the roadside verges through the village and it is hoped that more dffodils will be addd over the coming months to provide an even better display next spring. The clearing of the Memorial Hall Garden has been another project undertaken by the Working Party who removed a great deal of debris and overgown shrubs to make the appearance of the Memorial Hall grounds more attractive.

Last year work was carried out to clear the area in Elm Tree Walk at the back of the Parley Cross shops, which had been very neglected. This involved weed and shrub removal, repair and re-painting of garage doors and the clearance of other debris. Weedkiller is now applied to the area each year in order to maintain the improved appearance of the area. Volunteers involved in this work include: Richard Heaslip, Frank Trollope, Stuart Couper, Brian Miles, John Cullen, Brian Abbott, Jon Ladd, Stuart Baker and Derek Wright, John Mitchell, Mark Barratt.

Litter Clearing
Twenty or so volunteers, armed with litter pickers and black bags, carry out regular patrols of the village main roads to maintain a litter free environment. These volunteers are helped by many other residents who clear up the areas round their own homes in the residential streets.
These volunteers include: Mr and Mrs Shaw, Richard and Lorna Jean Heaslip, John Cullen, Trevor Sams, Mike Loader, Mimi and Denis Anderton, Mike Woodgate, Jan Sutcliffe, Brian Miles, Diana Penwill, Andy Steele, Michele Williams, Chrissie Davis, Dorothy Adams, Tony Elliott, and Mrs Widdicombe.

These volunteers are backed up by a large number of residents who carry out the essential task of communicating to villagers the efforts being made by WPRA on their behalf. They distribute newsletters and other mailings several times a year and we are very grateful to them. The volunteers include: Pete Stimpson, Mr& MrsPeskett, Mr & Mrs Kempster, Barrie Thompson, Jean Khan, Pat Shaw, Dave & Linda Phillips, Mr & Mrs Parsons, Andy Steele, Diana Penwill, Dorothy Adams, Mr RW Preece, Roger Heath, Mr & Mrs Williams,every one
a local hero! Marjorie Marshall, Chrissie Davis, Kenny and Debbie Dalglish, Mr Cheshire, Mr & Mrs Hedges, Mr Durrant, Michele Williams, Mr & Mrs Butcher, Mary & Jenny Mogg, Mrs Angie Cherrett, Mr M Browning, Mr & Mrs Edwards, Viviane Bhagwanani, Dave Battson, Shiela Gooden, Mr & Mrs Bessant, Mike Woodgate, Peter Boonham, Mr Eastham, Mr & Mrs Couper, John Sharp, Mrs E Daw, Mr & Mrs Wright, S Roberts.

WPRA is very grateful to each of these volunteers for giving of their time and efforts in order to make our village as attractive as possible. We can always accept further offers of help, particularly with litter picking and watering of plants, if only to make the duties of existing helpers come round a little less frequently.

All Saints Churchyard

WPRA now has two working party volunteer teams, working 9 to 11am alternate Tuesdays and Thursdays. New joiners are always welcome. From March to July this year we have been working in the historic All Saints churchyard, under the direction of the Churchwarden Derek Hyatt.

The group has levelled some sunken graves, cleared the area around the ashes stones, cleared the entrance to the church, painted the enbtrance gate, cut the hedge and is shortly to erect a fence to provide an area out of sight behind which visitors to the churchyard can place dead flowers and other debris from the graves.

This beautiful churchyard, the centre of West Parley's long history and such a serene and secluded place, is now looking very trim. All the gravestones are now clear of overgrowth and the approaches to the church are now neat and tidy.

We have finished there for this year (and will be returning to the job of keeping West Parley's pavements clear) but plan to return to the churchyard in 2011.

The Rector wrote a thank you letter to WPRA in July: "The churchyard is looking splendid and we are much indebted to WPRA for all the fine work you have done in recent months. All Saints has a significance and a special place in the hearts of many people. Its most heartening that under the auspices of WPRA the care and concern of the wider community is being actively channelled. Please pass on our thanks to all your members. We look forward to continuing in partnership next year."

New volunteers always welcome.
Scroll down for details of how to get in touch.

2009

WPRA volunteers have been busy in 2009 - clearing pavements back to their original width, cleaning up the overgrown approaches to the Memorial Hall, watering the flower displays at Parley Cross, litter picking to keep West Parley's principal roads tidy. No less than 30 volunteers have helped us this year.

The sum of the work has been to give West Parley a makeover. And experience tells that the better a place is kept, the better people treat it.

August: saw the team, usually between 4 to 7 of us on alternate Tuesdays, working down Christchurch Road downhill from the Horn pub.

The flower displays are now in their second year and have become a much admired feature at Parley Cross. WPRA bought the railing planters and raised money for the flowers on the railings and the flower baskets in front of the shops. We were aided by the generosity of Golden Acres Nurseries who donated the summer flowers, and by donations from the Parish Council, the District Council, the Airport, Eco fencing company, other local businesses and residents.

All this gets no pay! But a lot of fresh air, exercise, company, and the feeling that one is doing something for the community. And every Christmas we all have a festive get together at St Marks Church Hall.

The indefatigable organiser of all this volunteer work is Alan Macdonald (01202 571349). WPRA is fortunate to have Alan - a former Head at a local school - as our volunteer leader working on West Parley's appearance.