‘Rowlands Dell’ a Living Legacy to Maghull’s Best Friend: Dr John Rowlands (1939-2022)

Following permission from the NHS landowners (NHS Property Services Ltd), the Friends of Maghull & District (FOMD) on behalf of our community are delighted to announce that the official unveiling of a noticeboard entitled ‘Rowlands Dell’ was undertaken on Saturday 13.4.24, at 10:30 hours, within the Dell, and was unveiled by the late Dr John Rowlands family.

We are immensely grateful to the following organisations who have part funded the noticeboard to provide a legacy, historical context, updates, inform and invite support and engagement:

• Dowhigh Construction (represented by Steve Petche – operations manager) who donated £500 of which half contributed to the noticeboard, whilst the other half part funded our absolutely invaluable website. Without this contribution we simply could not communicate to our community to achieve the successful support we need. More information: https://www.fomd.co.uk/dowhigh-constructions-donations-in-2021-and-2022-a-massive-catalyst-for-our-grateful-and-indebted-community/
• The Local Co-operative Store (represented by Steve Booth – member pioneer and store manager) who have partnered with us during the whole of last year, to also part fund the noticeboard. In addition, they have also kindly partnered with us for a further year and are currently raising funds to provide a temporary neuro diversity art umbrella installation and a legacy of lanterns for this path. More information: https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/69247
• The Merseyside Police Commissioners Resilience Fund Grant are also a significant funder for the noticeboard. More information: https://www.merseysidepcc.info/down-to-business/grants-funding/neighbourhood-resilience-fund/
• Tony from Lemon Landscapes, and John and Henry from Maghull Town Council amenities team, for the free professional installation of the board.

Many Thanks to Our Speakers.

• Cllr Ken Hughes (Mayor of Maghull) who described the incredible service Dr Rowlands has given to Maghull. Full tribute: https://www.fomd.co.uk/goodbye-to-maghulls-best-friend/
• Dr Peter Chamberlain (Westway Medical Centre Practice Lead) who paid tribute to the medical centres co-founder and highlighted the health benefits of the NHS Wellness Dell Project.
• Dr Frank Sharp (FOMD) who described the Dell project and thanked the noticeboard donors.

We Would Also like to Thank:

• Catherine Rowlands and her family for allowing us to honour John with this living legacy.
• FOMD – we really can’t thank our hard-working cheerful volunteers enough for their generosity of time, endeavour and spirit.
• NHS Facility Services – who are not only the landowners but incredibly supportive partners.

Introduction to the NHS Wellness Dell Project.

After three years of consultation and in partnership with the landowners NHS Property Services, we have identified a three-year plan to restore the Dell as a safe, accessible haven for wildlife and health and wellness for the community, in which we hope to use the evidence-based wellness principles by bringing together blue and green (water and vegetation).

In preparation, over the last 25 consecutive weeks our volunteers have strimmed, flailed, and continue to rake out 173 bin bags of rubbish, mountains of Ivy and rubble debris, 30 agricultural bags plus 2 ½ tons of dominant damaging Irish Ivy, and created a wildlife friendly hedge utilising 300 trees (Mersey Forest) and power hosed this path (Mersey Jet Wash).

The NHS in August are funding a sunken garden and picnic/viewing area, creating a dry waterfall feature and a natural path that will provide a walkway partially around the circumference. Later, on in the year we hope to raise further funds to populate the whole Dell with zones of woodland planting.

Best Wishes,

FOMD

Together Making Maghull a Better Place to Live.

More information about this and other projects at: www.fomd.co.uk

(website created locally by www.abbeytech.net/)

Contact: admin@fomd.co.uk

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