WPRA Volunteers keep West Parley looking good.
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.
New Rd
March: as soon as the weather eased, volunteers started work on the heavily overgrown pavements alongside the big field at New Road.
Xch Rd
June: meeting at 9 every other Tuesday and working for 2 hours, we had completed the half mile job and moved on to Christchurch Road between Parley Cross and the Memorial Hall.
Memorial Hall before
...and after!
We found the Memorial Hall approaches had got out of hand with heavy bramble and overgrowth. It took 3 sessions to get it somewhat tidy - a proper plan is now being put together for more intensive volunteer and professional work to show the Memorial Hall from the road, as it should be.
August: saw the team, usually between 4 to 7 of us on alternate Tuesdays, working down Christchurch Road downhill from the Horn pub.
Nick Cuffe putting up planters
flower power
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.
Jenny and Mary Mogg
But flowers need watering! The railing planters each have a water reservoir holding 30 litres, which has to be topped up twice a week. And everyone knows how much water flower baskets take. Volunteers do the watering, using long hose systems on trolleys both sides of the lights. They do it in pairs, on a roster which works out at roughly one turn per month.
our litter team!
L to R John Cullen, Alan Macdonald
Frank Trollope, Mike Loader
have you seen the litter lady?
Regular litter picking is done on the principal roads in West Parley - so far New Road North and South, Christchurch Road East and West, and Church Lane. Volunteers "adopt" a stretch of road and go out at any convenient time when they think the road needs clearing. Litter picking sticks are provided (we get them from EDDC) and black bags when we can get them. So far we have found that the tidier we keep the roads, the less litter seems to be thrown on them.
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 Michaels Church Hall.
The indefatigable organiser of all this volunteer work is Alan Macdonald (01202 571349). WPRA is fortunate to have Alan as our volunteer leader working on West Parley's appearance - as a former Head at a local school he is deploying his skills to very good effect!