To my surprise our community has provided spontaneous and random acts of kindness throughout this week, to help start an amazing transformation of our environmental project at Bobby’s Wood at Woodend (junction of Liverpool Road South and Northway).

Whilst working at the wood by myself due to the pandemic restrictions, despite the fact that we have nearly 30 volunteers whom we have not been able to call upon yet, when the following events unfolded:

1) Ben Greenaway (Mersey Forest) provided three free mature trees and stakes which have been planted (picture 1).

2) Paul Richards (local tree surgeon) (Paul on the wood chip mountain picture 2) and his son Harry called twice to the site and provided tons and tons of free wood chippings from two popular trees from Spurriers Lane and a sycamore from Netherton, despite having to winch his vehicle out of the wood on the first occasion due to the saturated grass.

3) Phil (pictured 3a), a local from Liverpool Road South (LRS) whilst passing en route to Lidl (27.1.21) ‘took pity on me’ (whilst I was wheel barrowing the wood chippings around the new 230m perimeter hedging to act as an attractive weed suppressant – picture 3b) and spontaneously helped all afternoon whilst social distancing.

4) Dave Lenton, in April 2020, kindly donated a huge amount of ornamental rocks (picture 4) and shrubs,

5) which the Maghull Town Council maintenance team wrestled to remove and transported (22.1.21) for free, to form an attractive rockery near the Bumbles Nursery entrance to the wood. We are now searching for someone with an excavator to help us move the larger shrubs and rocks.

6) Following the death of our mother Jean, in October 2020 https://www.champnews.com/papers/pdf/SS5120.pdf#page=18 and our father in 2002, our family decided that because of their passion for gardening, my mother’s daily lifelong charity work, whilst living around the corner on LRS for 83 years, that we would donate some of the shrubs trees and plants.

7) Consequently my sister Christine and her partner Dan worked tirelessly for two days digging up over 20 plants and transported them to the wood where I have now planted (29/30.1.21) them around the new rockery entrance (picture 5).

8) Steve (Larchwood) has a gardening business and spontaneously dropped off and planted a mature hydrangea.

9) Countless local people have stopped and kindly & encouragingly complimented the outcome so far (28/29.1.21), which provided a great opportunity to invite their ideas, whilst one of the close neighbours on Northway (29/31.1.21) and Broadwood Ave have offered more shrubs.

10) Joan from The Crescent gave an irresistible tub of chocolates as a generous thank you.

11) Another consequence, whilst at the wood is that the local traffic junction work that was completed in April 2020, resulted in our contact with Sefton Council’s Green Department and their Highways Department, and AE Yates construction company and they agreed to some environmental improvements. Yates paid for the 1380 perimeter hedge whips (planted November 2020), Sefton Council Green Department provided four huge mature trees (Three pictured 6) on the Dover Road side of the junction, with more news on visually safe shrubs and hedging in one week to improve the whole junction, whilst Sefton highways is providing four evergreen trees for the wood soon.

Thank you very much to one and all, your amazing support has been brilliant and is really helping to make a difference for everyone. Please Help. The rockery on the rear border entrance is just the beginning, our aim this year is to plant up this huge 50x4m to border with Woodland themed planting, consequently we are encouraging community support via the following:

• Woodland themed plant donations (best time to lift and transport in the dormant period before March)

• or if you have a business with an excavator we need to remove some very local donated shrubs, please email woodendcwp@gmail.com)

• Online donations on our new crowdfunding website (www.justgiving/crowdfunding/woodend) to plant up the remainder of the 50×4 m rear border.

• We have partnered with the Co-op as one of their charities of the year (October 2020/21). The Maghull Co-op (Deyes Lane) will ‘donate money for nothing’, if customers simply sign up to be a Co-op member and choose our ‘cause’. Then every time a customer uses their membership card the Co-op will donate to our charity. Simply visit the Co-op website at https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/53065

Upcoming in February: continuing with crowdfunding and plant donations, create log seating, zoom meeting with the Friends of the Earth (Sefton), news on outcome of three funding applications(!), and four evergreen trees to be planted courtesy of Sefton Highways. Elsewhere: clearing, fencing, and planting 4000 trees in three destinations, and check out our other project for exciting updates on the amazing rhinoceros sculpture.(www.spacehive.com/stafford-moreton).

Many Best Wishes,

FOMD