Both Saturday and Sunday saw 28 people throwing themselves into hedgelaying, fencing and tree planting with tremendous enthusiasm! There was a mixture of old volunteers and new, young and old, experienced and amateurs. The farm was alive with activity and a buzz was in the air.
This weekend also launched the beginnings of (hopefully!) a working relationship with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). Three wonderful trainers were at Fordhall all weekend putting volunteers through their paces and training them to a standard to recieve qualifications for tree planting and fence building.
This activity was funded by a generous grant from the Shropshire Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund and the 200 trees were donated by Shropshire County Council. Everyone who attended the weekend planted a tree.
One of the best things about the weekend was the way people talked amongst themselves. People commented that they were a little nervous about attending on their own but left in the afternoon feeling really satisfied with their day. They had met many others, all from a varied background and different areas of the country, but all at Fordhall for the same reason – to support its future.
This was the first weekend shareholders attended and it gave them an oppourtunity to be involved more directly in the development of Fordhall Farm and a chance to put something directly into it.