Groups
Upper Lighthorne Town Council
We’ve created a working group of the town council called Upper Lighthorne Nature Network to coordinate efforts and support work across a number of areas, and are in the process of setting up interest for a youth group to work on education initiatives.
We’ve been busy identifying areas in need of a biodiversity upgrade, including roundabouts and verges that can start to grow hedges, bulbs, herbs, colour and will soon be joined into walks around town as part of a set of nature trails. The trails will be scattered with info boards and QR codes to let residents know what they can expect to spot, who they can hear singing in the trees, and what our focus of conservation should be on through different times of the year.
We’ll continue to develop 2 community allotment plots, paid for by the Town Council and Lighthorne Church, with the aim of providing a welcoming space for volunteers to get together, have a cup of tea and support our growing, strawberries and tomatoes a particular success from last years harvest. These sessions will be aiming to product tea and scones with strawberries, veg for soup making classes, and we’re working with Upper Lighthorne Primary School to start outdoor classroom sessions at these plots too.
Recent Projects & Initiatives
From Allotment Association Chair Maggie Hedger:
Upper Lighthorne Allotment Association is a small thriving allotment community sited alongside Gaydon Coppice within Upper Lighthorne Town.
The site has 22 plots, 2 of which are dedicated “community plots” and provide a safe and welcoming setting for individuals who would like to garden but don’t want the responsibility of a plot of their own.
Established in August 2024, the allotment vision is to create a space not only for growing fruit and vegetables but where nature can also thrive. We are therefore a pesticide and insecticide free association, and this is written into our tenants agreement. The Allotment Association also encourage plot holders to dedicate 25% of their plot either to flowers/herbs etc to encourage pollinators and insects. As a new and developing site, we are working on enhancing our allotments with a shelter and compost toilet to enable us to bring school and community groups to the site to learn more about the benefits of gardening, and the role we can play in supporting nature.
Upper Lighthorne Nature Group:
The Banbury Road planters are adopted by us and are planted for pollinators, work on these is constant. We have our nature area at the Bowls club where we have many species of birds visit, these are fed every other day and we have 13 feeding stations there. Currently we have our regular pheasant and we have nightly visits from fox, deer, rabbit, badger and once an otter – we have wildlife camera footage of all of this.
Further to this the group have been awarded a total of 30 saplings for November delivery which will be designated for gardens of interested parties through Upper Lighthorne.
Contact us
Ready to make a difference for wildlife in South Warwickshire? Whether you have five minutes or five hours to spare, there’s a place for you in our growing community.
Contact us if you would like to get involved.
Upper Lighthorne Nature Network
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