If You Went Down to Ingestre Woods on Friday... You'd Have Seen Two Circles...

If you went down to Ingestre Woods on Friday... you'd have had a big surprise!

The woodland nestled behind Ingestre Road Estate is usually sedate, silent even, but on Friday it had movement. Twenty two lots of movement.

Weaving between trees and traversing muddy banks were several folk bagging oodles of litter. They were so swift that from a distance you could only see the glimmers of their litter pickers. Across 80 minutes, this team absolutely transformed the look and feel of this special space.

Based down in the depths of the woods were a group looking to go even deeper. They were our diggers for the day, and they were helping both us and the local frogspawn. The pond they were deepening has become a favourite habitat for tadpoles, yet our hotter summers have been drying out their home. Thanks to this group's efforts, the Ingestre frogs will be a happier bunch this coming summer.

Across the way on the other side of the estate, there used to be a hill. Until Friday that is, from when it started taking shape as a meadow. These were our weeders, rakers, and shakers. They pulled out the deeply bedded weeds, raked the topsoil, and sprinkled a wild mix of wildflower seeds. The ascendant rain sealed the deal, and the blooms to come will push all memories of bare hills from residents' minds.

Hidden within one of the estate's walkways, our final group were bringing expectant life back to a forgotten collection of flower beds. They pulled the winter weeds before carefully planting the summer bulbs, gifting the walkway the promise of seasonal colour.

Helen (who heads up Ingestre Estate's tenants' association) and I are so grateful for your help and work. The sheer amount you achieved far exceeded what we expected. The woodland is expected to re-open to the public over the coming year, and your work has made a material dent in the work that's needed to make that possible. You've also made an immediate difference on the look and feel of the estate's green spaces, and I know this will be hugely appreciated by residents. Thank you.