Sitting peacefully on the outskirts of our parish, the Tongue End playing field has seen an increase in onsite physical activity this year. This journey has certainly been a learning process for me personally and one of the key lessons in recent weeks is deeply rooted in patience. Something I do not possess a significant amount of. Yet, patient, we must be. Things are happening, but sometimes a little time is needed to allow things to take shape.
It’s been an amazing journey since we started this project and I hope everyone involved is proud of what they’ve achieved so far. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your dedication! With your continued support I know we’ll achieve so much more in the coming months and years.
The following is just to recap on 2022 so far to bring everyone up to speed and serve as a reminder of everyone’s continued joint efforts. We’ll then look to update on a monthly basis
The Gate / Spalding Forge
The gate into the field has been a bit of a problem for some years. This is largely due to the fact that I’m fairly sure that it didn’t qualify as a “gate”. It wasn’t able to perform even the most standard of gate-like functions so its recent replacement has been appreciated with thanks to the Wind Turbine Fund and the representatives that have helped make this happen. We were really pleased to work with the Spalding Forge who replicated the gate from raw material whilst utilising and restoring the sturdy ground posts in situ.
Now that the gate is secure, the concrete pipe has been removed which I hope will assist with future accessibility and generally the aesthetics of the entrance. I’m sure there are lots we can do with it as we move forward. Ideas welcome!
Owl Box + 2
In recent news, the owl box we put up has two new occupants. Two barn owl chicks. Even those involved in checking owl boxes in the area were surprised to see them here so quickly, so we’ve been quite lucky. I can only assume that recommendations from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have done it justice. One box only (the original plan had two), away from the roads, pointing South East out of prevailing winds and into the early morning sun. I just hope it hasn’t been too warm for them these past weeks!
Cutting
The ongoing management of the field is a particularly challenging aspect that we’ll be looking to make headway before the year is out, now that we’re unable to legally utilise red diesel we will instead be fully reliant on volunteers to help maintain the space. To assist with this we’ll be looking to stock up on equipment, and tools, and look to implement the necessary insurances around things such as public liability.
So as not to take on too much, we will initially look to carve out walking pathways as a means to maintain accessibility and use ground materials to suppress growth in these areas. This will be led by local volunteers towards the end of Summer/early Spring in an effort to avoid both heat and the rain in which I’m sure we’ll be unsuccessful!
Tree Growth
Some of the trees planted as part of the Treescape project have taken but recent volunteer reports are showing a number that have failed to get rooted properly. There are undoubtedly numerous reasons for this with the most prominent being the incredibly hot and dry Summer we’ve experienced this year. We’ll report back to the Lincolnshire County Council who will look to review and replace trees where necessary.
Hedgerow Rescue
The hedgerow is under siege by grasses and plants, but with help from volunteers, we’re clearing around the hedge line to give them the space to grow. Those involved have been careful not to cut the grass too far back in order to provide the whips with some shade what with the recent sunny weather, this move will inevitably save a lot of the plants and the hard work that went into their planting. We’ll continue to monitor and move forward accordingly.
Formalising the Tongue End Community Group
The work we’ve been doing in Tongue End has been largely driven by the local community, their voice has always been critically important so formalising the group is the next important step. Community groups offer a home to people with like-minded interests. This creates a space to direct efforts in specific areas based on localised needs and puts the decision-making into the hands of the Tongue End village. More information will steadily make its way to this website.
The Website
http://tongueend.co.uk is up and running at a limited capacity as we finalise some of the pages in the coming weeks. We’ll look to detail our local projects more fully and provide open and transparent details around finances, minutes of any related meetings and activities. Of key importance will be a list of ongoing maintenance tasks, people will be welcome to review the list and take their pick of any of the tasks we need to complete, large or small, whatever you can give will all go towards the continued improvement of this space.
Lincolnshire Environmental Awards
In a rather surprising turn, the Tongue End Playing Field has once again been shortlisted in the upcoming Lincolnshire Environmental Awards, 6 remaining entrants will once again be whittled down to 3 in order to present the project at the Whisby Nature Reserve, headquarters to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Whilst a finalist position is perhaps unlikely, it will be great to show the progress we’re making and continue to get guidance from the industry experts when they come to visit.
Looking Ahead
The work at Tongue End is very much ongoing, we’ve made great progress and with the help of the community will continue to improve the local environment for all. If you’d like to get involved in any capacity then please do not hesitate to contact us, we need all the help we can get!
Thank you everyone for your continued support.