9 minute read
THE TOWN’S TEAM
Guerilla gardening is a thing, and it’s thriving in Stamford. Mary finds out more
MANY OF YOU will have heard of the term ‘guerilla gardening’ but some of you won’t so I’ll explain. Guerrilla gardening is quite si ple t is the tidying up beauti cation and cultivation o bits o land around a town or city that are neglected scruffy and o ten piled high with rubbish and debris. A guerrilla gardener will appear and cultivate this area albeit illegally planting vegetables and flowers a ing good use o the land and bene tting the area olunteers oin in and help with the cultivation so a co unity is or ed t is technically illegal as they are supposedly trespassing on land that is either owned by the council or by a private individual and uite o ten no one nows who actually owns it hence the neglect nd it is easier to ust get on and clear the area tidy it up and plant it as getting per ission to do so can ta e onths so eti es years and uite o ten will ust never happen as the can will be ic ed down the road so o ten that the thread is lost
This method of gardening is obviously very popular in big cities particularly London where there are lots o neglected areas which need TL ut one o the ost beauti ul towns in the country ta ord has its own group o underground gardeners or nin as as they are nown eet Tea ta ord o ounded in by eil c vor and ina an yc
Tea ta ord is well nown and well supported in the town Tea ta ord grew ro the ride o ta ord
Litter ic ers which was started by eil and ayne artley in These two could not stand the litter that was in the town particularly at wee ends so started going out early in the orning and clearing it up They were then oined by any li e inded people including ina who would be
out and about clearing the ess that was le t by thoughtless individuals aceboo page encouraged others to oin the group pic s were organised which have oined pic ing litter is surprisingly therapeutic and gradually over the years the a ount o litter being pic ed has dropped on t get e wrong ta ord s litter proble has not disappeared co pletely but ta ord s tea o litter pic ers have highlighted the proble and educated any people to use a bin pretty si ple you would thin but surprisingly not so for many individuals. eil is out every orning usually at about a he doesn t need a lot o sleep and whilst the town sleeps this nin a is clearing up ess and spotting areas that need the garden nin as Tea ta ord really was a natural progression ro ride says eil have a van and tools as y ob is groundwor and gardens s was tidying up would spot overgrown parts o the town such as ivy on walls, piles of leaves and just generally overgrown areas. Rather than try and get permission to sort areas out I just got on and did it li e to eep the place nice and tidy d tried getting per ission but was ust obbed off or pushed from pillar to post so I wasn’t going to waste any more time. We have now been joined by many volunteers. We’ve got the equipment so we just swoop in, do the job and disappear. Quite often we aren’t spotted at all.’
Neil and Nina came together through litter picking and realised that more was needed in the town than this, hence Team Stamford. These two ‘garden ninjas’ as they describe themselves just gelled and now work together as well as run Team Stamford. They pop up all over the place, tidying areas, planting others and just making the town look better. They have been joined by other volunteers and have really ade a difference o e people don t want to pic litter but enjoy a spot of gardening, be that cutting back, pruning or planting. It’s sociable and fun and you really do make a difference
People in the town now ask them to clear areas. Quite often no one knows who owns the spot, or who to gain permission from so they just get on with it. Thank goodness for guerrilla gardeners.
Neil and Nina are a couple of characters who ‘love Stamford’ and have been brought up here, and that love shows. ‘The town has a spark and it deserves to be cared for and looked after. I go into town everyday,’ says Neil. ‘It never bores me and it’s stunning.’ ‘There’s always so ething different to see or notice says ina and the beautiful stone and gorgeous buildings have a calming effect These renegades are prepared to ta e on the council the SKDC and private landowners to improve the town. ‘There are many groups in the town,’ says Neil ‘including Shop Stamford, Stamford in Bloom and the council who are all doing their bit but there’s no co-ordination between them. We can help. We have heaps of energy, equipment and a van so we can swoop in and clear up a mess, help with planting or placement of bins, benches and planters. It’s amazing what Nina and I can do in a couple of hours. You could say that we are the centre of the wheel with all the other groups being the spokes that we lend a hand to.’
Team Stamford is set up as a CIC (community interest company) which is a special type of limited company that is set up to bene t the local co unity This eans they are able to accept donations and gifts and many companies and individuals are very generous. Local garden centres donate plants and bulbs. Timber is given for planters. Cheques ro places li e aitrose and people offer us cash in the street,’ says Neil, ‘which of course we can’t take, it’s got to go in the bank account!’ It’s not unusual for Neil to be stopped in the street and handed a sack of bulbs. Even the town council, whose land they sometimes trespass on has given them equipment such as a strimmer, as of course Neil and Nina are doing them a massive favour. ‘We work with the councils,’ says Neil, ‘it’s not a them and us situation even if we do bend the rules slightly.’ Many local businesses see them working near their premises and then either help, donate or both. Team Stamford are encouraging people to have pride in the town, and to own it, so to speak.
Many of you will have noticed the planters that have popped up on the way into town, all down to Team Stamford. The south bank of the river adjoining the Cattle Market car park has been transformed with scrub cut back, a new footpath put in to the beach and even an old boat which eil shed out o the river being used as a planter The Darby and Joan on North Street has been tidied up, ivy cut back and planters situated and planted up. And it’s all guerrilla gardening. Do they ever get into trouble? o eti es an official ro the council turns up to have a look and we have had the odd solicitor’s letter from an obscure landowner but why would anyone object? We are a ing the space better and effectively doing their ob or the e rarely get than ed by officials but always do by
residents.’ Have they ever been told to dismantle what they have done, or stop? ‘They wouldn’t dare!’ he said with a big grin. And no they wouldn’t as everyone in the town is behind this much admired team.
‘We improve the scabby bits of town. It’s a disgrace in places,’ says Nina. ‘Leaves pile up and they are dangerous as well as unsightly. These jobs can be done very quickly and easily. It’s just having the will to do it. We make the time to do it as neither of us can stand mess. We will put something on facebook asking if anyone is available to help, or to weed somewhere and someone always turns up to help.’
‘If a place looks a mess and is uncared for it will stay that way until it is sorted out. Once you’ve tidied up a space, it’s usually kept that way.’ Says Neil.
Team Stamford also help with bigger projects such as the local Guide’s hut, the hospital’s garden, planting trees in the town and collecting aluminium cans to help fundraise for
the new outdoor gym that Frank Newbon is working on.
But these guerrillas sometimes have to toe the line and get permission. ‘We have a friendly councillor in Amanda Wheeler,’ says Neil. ‘She has got us permission from Lincolnshire ighways to plant wildflowers on orth Street, Casterton and Tinwell Roads. This permission took about a year to get so an onboard councillor is a great asset or the tea These wildflowers are now in their second season and are just beginning to sprout and are now being nurtured by local residents eil and ina o ten nd this is the case. Locals see what Team Stamford are doing and often come and help. They then take ‘possession’ of the spot and keep it tidy; dead heading, pruning and watering. A community of like-minded people has been built through Team Stamford and for those who don’t have a garden it offers uch needed sanctuary and even therapy a ter a long day at wor The biblical loaves and shes story springs to mind here and on many occasions.
And all because ‘We love Stamford.’ Thank you Team Stamford.
Team Stamford can be found on facebook. Volunteers are always welcome so do join them.
