Dear Members / Residents,
Looking at last year’s newsletter, it is interesting to note that we had just experienced another very cold snap after a protracted period of heavy rains! Our Secretary Barbara recently teased the Management Committee when she wrote to say that it looked as if the new boardwalk had been stolen…! As we opened the email, we were relieved to find pictures of the deluge of water flooding the entire area around the pond so no thieves but certainly a first challenge for our new boardwalk to survive!
It has been a very memorable year all round but particularly in the amazing level of generosity from our local members and supporters who helped us hugely to achieve our target of £30k for the new boardwalk. We are also so fortunate to have the energies of Peter Morley, our Fundraising Officer, who worked so hard to obtain significant environmental grants from the National Lottery Fund and Your Fund Surrey and good donations from Pirbright Parish Council and the Pirbright Institute. Heather Coverly, our PR Officer, contributed greatly in the raising of our profile. It has been a heart-warming experience for the Management Committee to feel that our work in developing and maintaining the Wildlife Area has been recognised and supported. You have clearly felt that the brooks and wetlands are the wildlife area’s greatest natural assets and that we needed to make sure that we invested in a long term although expensive replacement. We are so grateful to Steve Hull as our skillful contractor and supporter who gave so generously of his time ably assisted by Nigel Emmerson. The design and construction are outstanding! The official opening in October by Cllr Keith Witham was accompanied by a last minute deluge of rain but our enthusiasm was undimmed and the photos showed the colourful halo of umbrellas as we celebrated!
Apart from this ‘big ticket’ item, we have also been delighted with the laying of the hedge on the Green Lane boundary which has been so effective in opening up and enhancing this corner. There are still a few of us who remember the first laying of this hedge very many years ago… As ever, we are indebted to our site manager Nigel Emmerson who continues to keep a watchful eye on all aspects of the Wildlife Area and organises the Management Committee members plus his wonderful team of volunteers from Network Rail to undertake a myriad of essential maintenance tasks including keeping the green path network mown and ready for our many visitors. In the summer we had an amazing volunteer day with around 70 staff members from Allianz Insurance in Guildford who worked in shifts to tackle ditches and the invasive Himalayan Balsam. They had fun too and we hope that they will be back!
Future Projects:-
Lay front boundary hedge
Construct weir at exit to pond
Reset gate at Bullswater Common entrance
Action on parts of spinal path which flood in the winter
Review the green path network and make action plan
One huge dark cloud will, however, hover over this last year when our much-loved Julie Emmerson died from a sudden illness shortly after the AGM. The Management Committee members have been devastated by her loss. Not only was she a most efficient Treasurer, she was also a mine of information on environmental and wildlife issues and had a great dry sense of humour. It was a delightful ‘first ‘on the Management Committee a few years ago when she and Nigel announced that they had got married. We are planning to remember her in some special way on the Wildlife Area which she loved so much and supported in very practical ways.
This letter also invites you to renew your membership into 2024. The enclosed membership
form shows details of any members listed at your address. As you may recall, our
membership arrangements assume that you wish to continue to be a member unless you
indicate otherwise. If you wish to discontinue your membership, if the information shown is
incorrect or if you wish to add other residents at your address, please make any necessary
amendments and send it back to the Secretary at the address shown below. Your
membership continues to be free.
If you are not presently a member and if you feel that the Wildlife Area is a worthwhile and an important
addition to the Fox Corner environment, why not join. New members of all ages are welcome and as mentioned
above membership is free, please complete the attached form and return to the secretary at the address
shown below.
Every year, we are very encouraged to receive donations of all sizes from Association members, the vast majority of which is gift-aided which adds a significant amount through tax reclamation @ 25%. Don’t forget that if you are a UK taxpayer, you only need to sign the Gift Aid declaration when sending your donation – we will process the rest. Donations may also be made online to ‘CAFOnline.org’ or direct to our Bank Account, the details are on the membership form. Thank you for your generosity in 2023 and we send you a heartfelt thank you! Without your support, the Wildlife Area could not continue to exist at the heart of the Fox Corner community and give pleasure to so many.
Another very straightforward way in which you can help us to increase our income is by shopping online through easyfundraising.org.uk. Each time you shop, you can raise money for your chosen charity at no cost to yourself. Participating retailers include Amazon, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, MandS, Ebay etc. All you need do is to register at easyfundraising.org.uk and then log in each time you shop. Search for the Fox Corner Community Wildlife Area in the listing and then shop in the usual way by clicking on the link to access the retailer’s site and make your purchases as normal. The retailers then give us a percentage donation which can mount up and help our finances!
You are invited to come to our AGM on Monday, 8 April at 7.30pm in the Church Room at St Michael’s Church. We are delighted that Nigel Choat will be bringing us a slide show entitled ‘Surrey on the Wild Side’. He is a member of the Surrey Photographic Association and has been to the Wildlife Area with his camera many times. We do hope you will be able to join us! Please note earlier time.
With all good wishes and thanks for your support.
Yours sincerely
Catherine Cobley
Chairman