Thursday 24 April 2008

Weather: rain!

Due to the weather, we were unable to work in the churchyard today (when the ground and gravestones are wet, there is a health and safety risk).

Michael and Carolyn did some work on the risk assessment which we need to do in order to apply to have some individual workers from the Unpaid Work Unit work with us on Thursdays. This, and the health and safety policy/information sheet for all of our volunteers should be available soon.

Thursday 17 April 2008

Team: Peter(1), Michael, Dorothy, Harry, Carolyn, Sean, Peter(2)
Weather: cold and blustery at times, occasional sunshine

What we did:

• Dorothy brought her friend, Harry, our newest team member. Along with Peter(1), they worked on continuing to clear some of the flat grave stones in the "ivy section" (section B).
• Sean and Peter(2) worked on removing branches and tree stumps.
• Michael and Carolyn got a fire going to burn the brushwood created mainly when trees were previously removed from the section near to the housing association flats. There was also lots of other debris which had blown down in recent winds and the results of the work being done by Sean and Peter(2). Peter(1) also helped with this in the afternoon after Dorothy and Harry had left.
• Tea and biscuits very gratefully received from Eric.
  

Thursday 10 April 2008

Team: Peter, Michael, Carolyn, Dorothy
Weather: mixed - warm and dry one minute and pouring with rain the next!

What we did:

• Carolyn worked on removing all of the sycamore seedlings from the beds at the rear of the church and also some from the bank behind church. There are so many this year and it will be quite a large job to get them all out. Wild flower seeds were then sowed into the beds.
• Michael moved all of the chopped down shrubs from the lower churchyard (left from when the City Council contractors cut down the shrubs on the bank between the lower churchyard and the church).
• Our newest team member, Dorothy then arrived. We all took a walk around the upper churchyard to show Dorothy around and to advise on the various health and safety issues as well as explaining some of the work which we have already done and what still needs to be done.
• We then all set to work on clearing some of the graves in the "ivy section" (section B). Peter and Dorothy worked on clearing two gravestones of the soil and other debris (see photo) whilst Carolyn worked on removing ivy from nearby areas. Michael did the heavy stuff of wheelbarrowing away the foliage and also moving some other logs and rubble.
• At about 2 pm, the rain began to get heavy so we retreated into church and completed some indoor jobs.