After an unsuccessful application to The Woodland Trust to enable more tree planting at Rushcliffe Country Park a local company has now stepped in to help.
The Nottingham Post reports that Artex Ltd has contributed £5,000 to allow an area about the size of a football pitch to be fenced off and for woodland to be created for future generations. They’ve also bought a water bowser and will be supplying volunteers to help with the planting and upkeep.
Park manager Keith Laing says: “We put the project on hold when we were turned down by the Woodland Trust, but when Artex approached us wanting to give something back to the community, and I met up with the then MD Dean O’Sullivan and a couple of his colleagues, the plan was brought back to life.”
“Their enthusiasm about creating something on the park was great but more than that they wanted to get their staff involved. We suggested the woodland and they said ‘what do you need from us?’.”
The site for the woodland will be on an area known as the kite field. An area which earned its name because the wind blows through from the power station between two existing areas of woodland – “you can often see kites being flown there”, adds Keith.
Pete Temprell, managing director of Artex, says: “The project represents some of our core values, ‘caring for the environment’ and ‘making a positive contribution to the community’.
“Our long term partnership with the park is important to us. Many of our employees are local to the area and are frequent visitors to the park. Employees have volunteered to help with the planting of the saplings, which will take place before the end of the year.”
But the firm didn’t stop there!
Keith explains: “We desperately needed a water bowser – we lose a lot of young trees because it is so difficult to get water to them. The bowser has helped us keep our young trees alive during the warm summer and will, of course, prove invaluable when the new woodland trees are planted.”
Keith, 59, has been park manager here for the last 15 years. He was one of the first rangers when the park opened in 1993, and while he ventured off to other roles within Rushcliffe, he was drawn back to work at the park.
He says that in addition to the help of businesses, local volunteers also step in to help at the park.
“We are quite fortunate that we have a very good friends group, 20 plus volunteers come down on a Wednesday to help out. They’ve amassed thousands of hours here – 7,000 just last year, and they won the Queen’s Award for voluntary services in 2012.”
Keith has nominated Artex Ltd for an Enabling the Community Award in this year’s Recognising Rushcliffe award.
The annual awards include eight categories, and commemorate the biggest and best in the borough. The deadline to nominate someone is almost here however – as the closing date is Tuesday October the 11th. Visit nottinghampost.com/rushcliffeawards.
ARTICLE BY KAREN ANTCLIFF
