The Friends of Pickerings Pasture AGM

    March 21st 2009,  Chairpersons Report

We're pleased to have welcomed some new members this year and we commend the very valued efforts of our regular, longstanding members.

It has been another busy year of voluntary work for the FoPP. Formal meetings were reduced to every other month from March 08 and this seems to have been satisfactory.

* Project Day, March 27th, at Pickerings, clearing and painting in the hide area.

* Project Day, April 24th, at Pickerings, continued work on hide.

* Social Event, April 28th, at Wigg Island, Guided Walk and bird watching.

* Refreshments, June22nd,  at Pickerings, for Country Crafts event.

* Project Day, July 30th, at the Decoy, work on hides and clearing vegetation.

* Project Day, August 27th, at the Decoy, hide roof re-felted and screen put up.

* Project Day, October 22nd, at the Decoy.

* Project Day, January 29th, at Pickerings, putting up bird boxes and litter pick.

* Project Day, February 24th, ground clearing work in Utilities area.

Other more general voluntary work has included the following activities.

* Writing articles for and updating the FoPP website.

* The purchase and upkeep of the bird feeding stations.

* Up dating the FoPP notice board at Pickerings.

* Painting, repairing and putting up notices at Pickerings and the Decoy.

* Putting up an owl box at the Decoy.

* Seeking funding for FoPP activities.

Raising funds to support our activities is always hard work. It is disappointing when we fail to achieve our goals. The FoPP are very pleased, though, with the donation from Steve O'Connor, of the Stobart Group, who has funded a year's winter bird feeding, at Pickerings and the Decoy. We would also like to thank our local councillors, Marie Wright and Shaun Osborne, for their support in helping us to gain this funding.

Times are tough. HBC are fine tuning their budget. The FoPP are anxious that our precious local nature reserves don't suffer. The support of volunteers and our concern as nature conservation enthusiasts will play an important role in the continued success story of our nature reserves. Please continue to give as much support to FoPP activities as you can and encourage others to join us. Every little contribution helps.