Volunteers at an award-winning Telford park have appealed for donations of unwanted wood of all shapes and sizes – or access to discounted wood at retailers.
The Friends of Telford Town Park (FOTTP) spent £700 on wood, screws and fixings alone in the last financial year and have said they need greater wood supplies in order to continue the improvements they have planned at the park.
The group used to get a 30per cent discount rate at a high street merchant, but are unable to get that anymore.
Adrian Smith, chair of FOTTP, said: “We are replacing rotten wood left right and centre, so we would really appreciate any donations of wood we can get or any merchants who could offer our voluntary group a discounted rate.
“The Chelsea and Maxell Gardens are 43 years old now, so there is a lot of replacing and repairing that is currently happening, which means we are using more wood than ever before.
“Combine that with the projects we have introduced, such as building the polytunnel which needed a wooden frame and reinforcements, it means wood of any shape or size would be utilised by our eager and talented team.”
The next project the Friends need wood for is to replace six 2.4meter posts in the Chelsea Gardens (pictured) and wooden posts for a new rope fence in the sensory garden, which is part of an ongoing project.
The group has recently finished replacing all the rotting wood in the planters in the sensory garden and planted over 600 summer bulbs in raised flower beds behind benches. They are also developing a cottage garden, herb garden, grass garden, introducing new colours and smells, repainting the benches and have fixed the bubble fountain in the stone feature.
This 12-month project is almost complete and the sensory garden has managed to be kept open throughout the work, but the finishing touches will now be delayed due to a colony of bees creating their nest in a flower bed there.
There are 25 members of FOTTP and gardening sessions are held each week on a Wednesday morning and once a month on a Saturday morning as well.
To keep up to date with their work or to help with a donation of wood or discounted sale of wood visit their Facebook page.
You can also visit their website www.friendsoftelfordtownpark.org or support them by signing up to the TWINCL lottery to help raise money for the work they do. Anyone can do this by visiting www.twincl.co.uk and choosing FOTTP as the cause to support.
