The Friends of Pickerings Pasture

               (and Hale Duck Decoy)

           AGM April 9th 2010  

       Chairpersons Report

We have been very pleased to gain new members, again, this last year. We have had several enquiries about membership and FoPP activities, through our website, and hope to welcome further new members this year.

This has been a slightly quieter year than normal, due to the uncertainty of changes taking place in HBC. Three project days were cancelled, at the start of 2010, but we hope to make up for this, with renewed vigour and careful, advanced planning, over the next year.. There is a new council structure and we will work hard to establish good relationships, with our HBC contacts, to enable us to carry out our voluntary activities, with confidence and success.

• Project Day March 24th, at Pickerings Pasture. Cut back willow structure and work on information board and fencing.
• Project Day April 28th, at Pickerings Pasture. General maintenance
• Project Day May 27th, at Pickering Pasture. General maintenance.
• Project Day June 23rd, at Pickerings Pasture. Work in car park area.
• Project Day August 4th, at Hale Duck Decoy. Cutting back, hide repair and bench painting.
• Project Day September 9th, at Pickerings Pasture. Cut back some overgrown pathways.
• Project Day October 12th, at Pickerings Pasture. Work on display board roof and willow arch.
• Project Day November 11th, at Pickerings Pasture. Joined by 1% Croda Club, clearing area in front of hide.
• Project Day December 15th, at Pickerings Pasture. Pruning and clearing young trees, to side of entrance path.

Other voluntary work, carried out by FoPP members, has included the following.

• Writing for and updating the FoPP website.
• The purchase of bird food and upkeep of the feeding stations at Pickerings Pasture and Hale Duck Decoy.
• Updating the FoPP notice board at Pickerings Pasture.
• Seeking funding for FoPP projects.
• Communication with Hale Holdings and HBC, to help in the future organising of parking facilities for the Decoy.
• Several members attend the Mersey Estuary Conservation Group.

Rob Smith, the ranger at Pickerings Pasture for the last ten years, has left HBC.

His role included preparing a report of developments and activities at Pickerings and the Decoy, for FoPP meetings and helping to organise project work for FoPP volunteers. He is to be replaced by Anne Faulkner, previously the ranger at Runcorn Hill LNR. We will also be working, closely, with Dave Ramsbottom, of HBC Open Spaces Services.