Herald - Issue 419

Page 16 • The HERALD • 17th February 2022 v THE HERALD - ENCOURAGING LOCAL ENTERPRISE v HANDY HANDS HANDYMAN S E RV I C E S Your Local Handyman For ALL Your Small Jobs • Gutter Clearance & Clearing • PVCu Fascias, Gutters, Soffits & Conservatory Cleaning • Pressure Cleaning of Paths & Patios •Window Cleaning • Interior & Exterior Painting • Grass Cutting, Strimming • Hedge Trimming • Shed Re-treated/ Roofs Re-felted • Flat Pack Assembly Fully Insured Free Estimates Work Guaranteed References on Request T: 023 8084 0096 M: 07840 860202 Your Local Professional Electrician • Complete Rewires • Periodic Inspection Reports • Fault Finding & Repair • New Consumer Units • New Circuits • Central Heating Wiring • Extra Sockets/Lights • PAT Testing • No Job Too Small • Part P Registered • Fast & Efficient Service • Free Estimates Telephone Gary on 07788 865081 forestelectrical@gmail.com The Square, Fawley, Southampton SO45 1DD T: 023 8112 3112 E: office@zebra-ltd.co.uk All Plumbing Works Undertaken Full Bathroom Installation Toilet Fix from £75 Fully Insured Free Quotes No Job Too Big or Too Small PLUMBING & BATHROOMS Flour Power! Raising Dough to Support Local People Living With Cancer If baking takes your (fondant) fancy, Wessex Cancer Trust’s Waterside Support Centre would love you to host a Cakes4Cancer event this March to raise money to support local people living with cancer. Rolling out across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight between 1st March and 31st March, Cakes4Cancer is a really simple way to come together with friends, family or colleagues – either in person or virtually, and ‘bake’ a di erence by asking for a donation in return for a cuppa and cake. Sally Hillyear, Wessex Cancer Trust’s Head of Fundraising, said: “ We’re passionate about community at Wessex Cancer Trust, and believe everyone living with cancer should be able to get free and local emotional support whenever they need it. Cakes4Cancer is all about people coming together to enjoy something delicious for a great cause. Your event can be as big or small as you want, either in person or virtual. You could put on a coffee morning at work, host an afternoon tea with friends or invite neighbours to come along to a bake sale. Whether it’s faked or baked, every cake sold could help change someone’s life for the better. It really is a piece of cake!” e charity has put together a free kit containing everything you need to host your own event, including lots of event ideas, cake toppers, posters, bunting, recipe cards and a gi aid form. Sign up at: www.wessexcancer.org.uk/event/cakes- 4-cancer-2022 Changing lives is a piece of cake! e Friends of Lepe are celebrating 15 years of volunteering at Lepe and are looking back at some of their achievements over the last decade and a half. One of the rst projects that the Friends of Lepe tackled in 2006 was opening up what is now known as Lepe Point Nature Reserve. is is one of the few areas of Lepe Country Park owned by Hampshire County Council, it was originally the demesne of Solent Cottage built in the late 1800’s and can be accessed from a pedestrian gate on the opposite side of Lepe Road to the cli op carpark. e very rst day that the Friend’s conservation group met was greeted with pouring rain and a strong wind blowing, but it didn’t deter the group who enthusiastically set to clearing wild Rhododendrons, brambles and gorse, creating paths into the reserve for visitors to enjoy. Later a pipeline was laid to a trough so that grazing animals could be introduced to improve bio-diversity of the meadow. Volunteers also helped install a boardwalk through the woodland allowing the site to be accessed throughout the wetter parts of the year. LepeNature Reserve Pond: In 2008 Lepe successfully applied for a Lottery Grant towards creating a Nature Pond in the reserve. e Volunteers keenly assisted in helping with an Archaeological survey that was necessary prior to digging the pond, disappointingly nothing exciting was found! e Friends were fully involved in making the pond, they assisted in laying the clay liner and setting out the wooden dipping platforms. Several members also took part in a training session on how to Pond Dip safely and how to identify the pond creatures. ere is also a water collection system tted behind the classroom that traps rainwater and keeps the pond topped up. Bird Hide : Funded with a grant from the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme the Friends of Lepe Volunteers assisted the Lepe Ranger in constructing a Bird Hide at Lepe Point. e reserve had by now been declared a Local Nature Reserve. e Hide was o cially opened by Dan Snow in 2012. e reed bed area in front of the hide is maintained by the Volunteers helping to keep a view of the Darkwater River. Bird feeders are also kept lled, attracting an eclectic range of birds. Conservation of the Meadows: Friends of Lepe Volunteers have also helped in the Lepe meadows with tasks such as hedge laying, ragwort pulling and raking grass a er cutting and removal of scrub and blackthorn. Anothermemorable day was the planting over 100 tree whips in 30 minutes for the Tree O’Clock event in 2009, the hedge they produced is now thick and tall and can be seen from the road in front of the classroom. ey will be getting involved with a new tree planting project at the park during February which will ensure the iconic pines and other feature trees are a part of the park landscape into the future. In addition to conservation tasks the Friends also help with events at the park such as making bird boxes or running activities at the Marine Wonders Event and they have played a major part in creating and maintaining the Sensory Garden. If this type of volunteering appeals to you the Friends of Lepe would welcome new members to join in with the Conservation tasks , they ask for a regular commitment of two days a month, usually the rst and third Tuesdays throughout the year. For more information please contact Alison Steele by email: alisteele101@gmail.com Go and join the Friends of Lepe Conservation Volunteers