friends of lyme brook
Volunteers create Wi W
Sally Aldridge, Chair of Friends of Lyme Brook 30 Newcastle Life Issue 27
alkers, joggers and cyclists were surprised to see members of Friends of Lyme Brook wielding old fashioned scythes and meadow rakes in the Lyme Valley Parkway at the end of summer. The activity was part of a long term project funded by Severn Trent Community Fund to create a wild flower meadow in the parkway near the banks of the Brook using traditional mowing methods. Sally Aldridge, Chair of the Friends, commented: “We want to encourage native plants and flowers to grow in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. This will attract more birds and wildlife to the area, increase diversity and enhance the environment in this much loved community facility.” Friends of Lyme Brook was formed two years ago to monitor, protect and improve the quality of the Lyme Brook and its environs. The Brook which flows through the length of Newcastle before joining the River Trent at Trentham is central to the Town’s sense of wellbeing, particularly in these current difficult times when it has provided much needed green space and recreational area. Sally continued: “The Brook is a wonderful amenity, but it is at risk from pollution, development and littering. Having the group monitoring the quality of the water on a
