What a fantastic Saturday morning, great weather, great response from the local Scout movement including Beavers, Scouts, local residents and later by a local councillor. Unbelievably, everyone worked incredibly hard to plant over 2000 daffodils, bluebells, and a lovely contribution from a local resident of tulips. Everyone’s contribution was fantastic, as it was done with hard work, fun, earning environmental badges and most importantly everything was done before the weather changed to strong winds and rain after dinner.

The Friends of Maghull and District CIC (FOMD) organised the huge bulb planting, from part of the approximate £2300 the community crowd funded (1) in the second year (2021) stage, to populate the large 50x4m newly created rear border at Bobby’s Wood/Woodend (the junction of Liverpool Road South/Northway).

In preparation, we are again very grateful to the Ashworth Hospital Gardeners who recently planted (3) over 60 new discounted (2) shrubs, and returned this week to rotovate a 72 m strip (pictured) between the path they created and the rockery border to soften the soil to make it easier to create a trench before planting.

Ian Porter (Scout leader and FOMD Co-Director) sadly had to cancel the Scouts tree planting involvement during the pandemic restrictions, but was delighted on this occasion with the response from all aspects of the Scout movement throughout the local area, who collectively undertook an astonishing and memorable planting of over 2000 bulbs.

We are so grateful to all of them. The saying, ‘many hands make light work,’ has never been truer. It would have taken an eternity without them and they made the whole occasion really enjoyable. We are also grateful to: Carole who travelled from Haskayne to drop off a variety of home-grown woodland plants. Joan (local resident who came fresh from her booster jab!) who along with a small helper (pictured) fixed some of the escaped bulbs. Richard (local resident pictured) who came early to plant his kind donation of 10/15 pots of tulips, before rushing off to a climate change march in Liverpool. Diane (FOMD Co-Director) who very kindly purchased and donated one of two large rhododendrons as a memorial to her parents.

Marion & Dan (Molineux Ward Councillor & colleague) who came after a morning surgery session, and undertook some unbelievable ‘hard labour’ (pictured) by helping the older Scouts rake 72 m of soil over all the bulbs, before rushing off to help an elderly lady in Maghull who needed some overgrown vegetation cutting back.

So many people have supported this project, in so many different ways and we didn’t want to miss anyone out, so we have serialised our thanks from 1 to 4 over the last week, highlighting their and most likely your contribution, which can be found on the following links:

(1) https://www.facebook.com/…/154530…/posts/962655101129210

(2) https://www.facebook.com/…/154530…/posts/962951167766270

(3) https://www.facebook.com/…/154530…/posts/963783801016340

(4) https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2519326335044883…

In the meantime, we have started a fresh appeal for unwanted woodland themed plants between October 2021 and March 2022, to be planted in the Bobby’s Wood/Woodend border or the refresh of our first project (2018) in Parkbourn, Maghull. For plant donations please contact: woodendcwp@gmail.com and for continued updates check out: www.spacehive.com/woodend

Local Climate change action has never been more important: If you would like to express an interest in local tree planting events (between November 2021- March 2022), as many of you did last year when you helped to plant 8,000 in Maghull (!), please contact us on woodendcwp@gmail.com

Some people came for one hour, others brought young families, others stayed longer, but every little bit helped and really made a difference.

Best Wishes,

FOMD CIC