Community News

Funding appeal for meadows

A campaign has been launched to help raise funds to create new meadows in Exmoor National Park. It follows a 97 per cent drop in wildflower meadows nationwide since the Second World War.

“This appeal is about recognising that wildflower meadows are an absolute powerhouse of our countryside,” said Heather Harley, Conservation Officer for Farming and Land Management.

“We need more wildflowers growing on road verges, village greens, churchyards and in school grounds. Our work will help bring together those cultivating wildflower seeds and those who have land, with donations from the public needed to fund vital equipment, habitat surveys and training.”

The pilot stage of the project (pictured above) has seen 30 kilos of seed collected and distributed across five different sites on Exmoor. This has enabled the restoration of more than 11 acres of meadow. It is part of a wider aspiration to create a network of ‘nature corridors and highways’ across the national park, including 1,500 hectares of additional wildflower meadows.

Meadows provide important food and homes for a diverse range of species, including many pollinator insects, small mammals, bats and birds, and are a rich carbon store.

Sieving the first batch of wildflower seeds

Donations to the appeal will support the new ‘Exmoor Sowing the Seeds’ project, and you can get involved at the national park centres in Lynmouth, Dunster or Dulverton or online at: exmoor-national-park.gov.uk/caremoor

Molton Monthly is a North Devon Biosphere Business Partner helping to promote sustainability.

Chulmleigh’s youth football teams excel

Chulmleigh Youth FC has just wrapped up its most successful season since the football club began in 2003. The boys’ U14 team (pictured above) topped the North Devon Youth League to become champions for the first time in the club’s history, and only narrowly missed out on winning the cup final on penalties.

Meanwhile the boys’ U12 team also won the second division of their league, and the girls weren’t to be outdone with the U11 team heading to the cup final on May 22nd.

RGB Building Supplies has selected the Royal National Lifeboat Institution as its charity partner for 2022, and will be organising fundraising events over the next 12 months. Tom O’Leary, manager at RGB South Molton said, “The number of awards that our region’s RNLI lifeboat stations have received is testament to the fantastic work they do to protect local people and visitors.”

Celebrate our Queen, but please keep it green!

Event organisers and individuals are being urged to avoid buying plastic souvenirs and displays for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June - in line with the Royal Family’s support for the environment. For tips go to: plasticfreenorthdevon.org

RNLI inshore lifeboat in action

Ukraine aid fund boost

A quiz night and auction held at West Buckland Village Hall on April 23rd raised £2,874 for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, with further generous donations taking the total to £3,010 - a great achievement for such a small community.