11 minute read
Community News
Cleaning up the River Tamar
‘Sewage is discharged into our rivers on a daily basis.’ (The Rivers Trust)
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I live just downstream from the Metherell sewage works and the 2021 map of sewage discharges at www.theriverstrust.org shows South West Water was given a permit for Metherell sewage works to spill sewage in exceptional circumstances 188 times over a period of 3,707 hours. (Exceptional circumstances means circumstances that could not be reasonably foreseen and for which there was insufficient time to take the necessary action to resolve the situation arising from those circumstances.) In 2021 in the Calstock area of the River Tamar there were 17 treatment plants which between them totalled 20,309 hours of discharge. This obviously cannot continue. The public use the river for gig racing, canoeing, sailing, fishing, cattle drink from the water, children play in Cotehele Weir and wild swimmers swim in the river.
South West Water has announced plans to introduce WaterFit to protect rivers and seas - ‘WaterFit will dramatically reduce our use of storm overflows, maintain our region’s excellent bathing water quality standards all year round and reduce and then remove our impact on river water quality by 2030. Working with partners and customers WaterFit will begin to deliver the change we all want to see.’
This is an admirable ambition, but the rivers need to be cleaned up now. One way of putting pressure on polluters is by achieving designated bathing water status. Currently, the River Wharfe at Ilkley in Yorkshire, and a stretch of the River Thames at Port Meadow, Oxford, are the only rivers with designated bathing water status in the UK. Calstock Parish Council intends to add the waterfront at Calstock to this list. When the designation has been confirmed, the river will be monitored by the Environment Agency (EA) and permits to discharge sewage will be scrutinised.
Water quality standards are set for bathing waters based on World Health Organisation research into the incidence of stomach upsets in people bathing in waters with different levels of bacteria. Water is tested for two types of bacteria: E. coli and intestinal enterococci. These bacteria usually get into water from sewage and animal manure. Tests are carried out regularly, usually weekly, between 15 May and 30 September in England. Currently the Tamar has NO monitoring whatsoever in the Calstock area for bacteria from sewage and animal manure. Bathing water designation guarantees that the EA will carry out bacteria sampling during the bathing season (May to September). I am optimistic that South West Water will be able to adapt their processes to enable Calstock to be proud of its bathing water status. The Calstock part of the Tamar is in a World Heritage Site, AONB and SSSI and as such should surely be a top priority.
Andrew Brown BDS
See www.theriverstrust.org for more information and how you can get involved in cleaning up our rivers. www. theriverstrust.org/sewage-map shows where sewage discharges and overflows into rivers took place in England & Wales in 2021.
Photo: Jan Simpson
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Ten Tors with Dartmoor Plodders
The Dartmoor Plodders is an independent walking group and Ten Tors team for young people. Founded in 2001, the group is run entirely by volunteers – all of whom have done Ten Tors. Plodders get to make friends outside of school and although we do have a history of winning things, with several event records in the 2000s, there’s no pressure to do that. What really matters is enthusiasm and teamwork. Our training is thorough, but includes lots of fun - we can’t say for sure, but not many teams bring sofas to Okehampton Camp – or a lifesize plastic skeleton!
Whatever we’re doing seems to be working: Dartmoor Plodders hasn’t had a single participant drop out of the Ten Tors event in over a decade.
On 12 October, a very special tree was planted in Yelverton Play Park. The tree, a birch, was one of the ‘Tree of Trees’ outside Buckingham Palace during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this summer. At the end of the celebrations, it was decided to distribute these trees around the country and Yelverton Play Park was chosen as a suitable site for one of them. The tree was planted by Clare Broom, a deputy lieutenant of Devon, Ric Cheadle, chair of Yelverton Community Projects (which looks after the play park), and children from Mount Kelly who regularly come and help maintain the park.
The play park receives no local authority funding, and raises all its The training season involves lots of walking (typically every other weekend), camping and a residential. There is then the chance to enter other local events and challenges, like Abbott’s Way and Midnight Madness. The Plodders are also one of the few groups who still train and enter a 55-mile Ten Tors team, if there’s enough interest from previous 45-milers. Beyond completing events, we help young people develop outdoor skills and understanding to see them through life: camp craft, map and compass navigation, independence and self-reliance - as well as a comprehensive knowledge of Dartmoor. Some members have gone on to become outdoor instructors, join the military or emergency services – and most continue their love for the outdoors post-school, be it hiking, trail running, mountaineering, rock climbing.
Dartmoor Plodders are currently recruiting walkers for Ten Tors 2023 in the 35 and 45-mile events (ages 14-17). If you are interested or would like to find out more, please contact us via Instagram or Facebook message @ dartmoorplodders.
funds from donations, bequests and by running a monthly lottery. There is a planned ‘upgrade’ for the toddler area, funds permitting, over the next year. If you would like to help, donate, join the lottery or just want to know more, please get in touch at r_s_cheadle@ hotmail.com; we’d love to hear from you!
Yelverton plans for the Coronation
A ‘Yelverton event’ to celebrate the King’s Coronation is being planned for May 2023 and we’re looking for local groups to join in, both to support the event and use the occasion to promote their group. It will probably be centred around Yelverton Play Park on the afternoon of 6th or 7th of May with a BBQ, children’s entertainment and something for grown-ups too! If you would like to be involved or know more, please contact Ric at r_s_ cheadle@hotmail.com or 01822 84710.
Success for Tavistock
Tavistock BID held its annual AGM in October where it outlined plans for 2023. Some of the priorities will be: to develop the reach of Visit Tavistock; to encourage visitors to spend longer in the town and immediate area; to investigate a new annual event in the town; to conduct an initial survey for free town WIFI and to continue supporting the town’s businesses during uncertain economic times.
The Tavistock Gift Card scheme will shortly be re-defined, with new businesses joining the scheme. So far, the Gift Card has increased spend in the town to the tune of £40,000 and we are excited by its success. You can pick one up from Lawsons Tavistock, pick up a ‘Load This Card’ envelope at all participating businesses or buy it online. It really is so simple, and the choice is vast! Best of all, it directly supports the town. The perfect gift this Christmas. tavistockgiftcard.co.uk
We are extremely proud to have won a GOLD for our entry into South West in Bloom and for supporting the town’s own entry which was awarded Silver Gilt. The BID entry also came top of its class, beating other towns and cities across the region. Thanks must go to Ali Sedgewick of the Community Gardeners and Becky Rowe at Tavistock Town Council for supporting it, alongside Tidy Tavi and all the other local community groups that make this town so special.
With Christmas fast approaching, we look forward to the many events taking place throughout the town. There will be ‘free from 3’ parking on Thursdays and Fridays providing a great reason to come in and shop later on in the day! For more details on all upcoming events go to visit-tavistock.co.uk/ whats-on
Tavistock food charity makes a huge difference
New charity shop in Yelverton
A charity set up to help people struggling to feed themselves and their families through the cost-of-living crisis, has launched a Saturday FoodStore project in Tavistock. The scheme, based at Tavistock Red and Black Club in Crowndale Road, offers a wide range of fresh, frozen and chilled food between 11am and noon every Saturday. Anyone can take advantage of the project. All that is asked is a donation towards the cost of running the charity, to cover electricity, fuel, rates and rent. It follows the success of the Devon and Cornwall Food Action (DCFA) charity inspired Tavistock Food Box initiative since July, which has seen more than 160 families being supported.
DCFA trustee and Whitchurch resident Graham Parker said: “People can fill a carrier bag with anything that we have on display – fruit, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, baking and confectionery – and all that we ask is a donation of £5 to the charity. Everyone associated with the Food Box Initiative is a volunteer, and we are always looking for more volunteers to help.”
The Tavistock Food Box Initiative is a partnership between DCFA, the Red and Black Club and local volunteer charity Tavi Helps. In addition to helping feed people, DCFA also focuses on minimising food waste and the food boxes help to save some of the surplus produce from supermarkets ending up in landfill. However, even after boxes have been filled and distributed, there is still surplus and that’s where the Saturday short-dated FoodStore comes in, to avoid discarding food which is perfectly good but is within a few days of its sellby or best-by date. It is offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis at the Red and Black Club and anything left over after that is taken to Tavy Fridge at Tavistock Library and to the nurses in the Intensive Care Unit at Derriford. As well as the Saturday FoodStore, in the past three months the partnership has provided over 300 food boxes to more than 160 local families.
The boxes contain enough food to feed a small family for a week, for a suggested charitable donation of £17. Boxes are available for collection from the Red and Black Club on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 11 and noon. On those days, DCFA’s volunteer drivers can also deliver to homes in an area as wide as Gunnislake, Bere Alston, Yelverton, Princetown, Mary Tavy, Lamerton and Milton Abbot. To order a box, contact graham.parker@dcfa.org.uk or ring Graham on 07545 075942.
Plymouth & Cornwall Cancer Fund (PCCF) is delighted to announce the opening of a second shop in Yelverton in November/December 2022. This is happening almost exactly 25 years since our first shop opened in Hyde Park Road, Plymouth. PCCF is a small local charity committed to supporting local people whose lives are affected by cancer and who are under the care of Derriford Hospital. We do this by providing small grants to people in need, perhaps for travel expenses or accommodation. We also fund initiatives to improve diagnosis, care and treatment, staff education, and research; in addition we are currently financing training posts for cancer nurse specialists. Please do come along and support this new venture in Yelverton - pick up a bargain and meet the team. And if you’re interested in volunteering either in the shop or fundraising, please get in touch on 01822 859042. Our other contact details can be found on our website at www.plymouthandcornwallcancerfund. org.uk
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