Thanks to the volunteers who helped at the pond last month.  There’s more to do but that will wait until next month, when the pond wildlife will have settled or left for the winter.

The footpath FP428 (going North from Ockley Road along Cobbler’s Brook) needs cutting back again, to make it passable without being scratched and wide enough to avoid the muddiest bits.  We’ll do that for this month’s activity.  At 10am on Saturday morning (12th October) we’ll meet at Leabrook, Mapledrakes Road and take the short walk to the path; see the map below.  I’ll have the LEAP tools at Leabrook for us, but please take any of your own tools you would like to use.  We’ll bring along some coffee and biscuits.

Jacquetta from the Surrey Climate Commission has asked if any of us would like to attend a webinar on  “Surrey’s Food Systems: How can we move towards healthier people, healthier soils and a healthier planet?“. Click the link for more details.

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday,
All the best,
Eddie

There was a good number of us litter picking last month – we had enough litter to fill the expanded boot of an estate car!  Cranleigh dump was a little sceptical, but were persuaded to allow Alice and me to dump it all there.  Thanks to all who helped picking!

At the annual Parish Meeting Michael Higgins, our Waverley councillor, came up to me to thank LEAP for all its work.  The Parish Council have always been generous to LEAP, and it is good to know we are appreciated by the Borough too.

Next Saturday I cannot help much with the working party, but James has suggested clearing our part of the combined foot and cycle path between Ewhurst and Cranleigh.  The path needs overhanging twigs cutting back, and the path scraped back to its full width.  This will allow pedestrians and cyclist to pass more safely.  Only about one third (300m) of the full path is in our Parish, which should be plenty to keep busy for two hours.

Please meet at the bottom of the hill out of Ewhurst towards Cranleigh, at 10am this coming Saturday, 11th May.  James and I will have the LEAP tools, but please bring your own spades or shovels. I will come back again at 11 with coffee and biscuits, and help collect the tools at midday.

All the best,
Eddie

Despite the mud, the team that helped last month made quite a difference to the two footpaths tackled.  A lot of people use the paths from Wykehurst Lane to Coneyhurst Lane, so thank you.  We have another footpath that need widening: FP428 alongside Cobblers Brook and Bramblehurst Farm.

Unfortunately I cannot be with you, but Alice will show you the path. She will also have the LEAP tools to collect from outside our house before she leaves. If you want to borrow secateurs, loppers or a bowsaw please come to Leabrook, Mapledrakes Road. I’ve marked it on the map. Alice will set off from Leabrook at 10am this Saturday 9th February, and will finish at midday.

I have been sent a message from Chris Westbrook in Ellens Green, asking if anyone would like to help out at this year’s Ellens Green communal litter pick, which will be held on Saturday, the 23rd of March. If you are interested please email me and I will pass on the details.

All the best
Eddie

As usual, we were busy in 2023.  The highlights included:

• Clearing footpaths
• The Carnival
• Footpath Survey
• The Big Help Out, with tree planting and litter picking
• Tidying the pond by the Village Hall
• A grant for first aid training for 2 people

Some photos of these can be seen in our Image Gallery.

The committee would like to thank all those who came and helped at these events, and wish you all a happy and successful 2024.

This coming year we are going to trial having the working parties on the second Saturday of the month.  The next one will be on Saturday 13th January – I’ll send out a message about it in the previous week.

All the best,
Eddie

The weather is looking good for Saturday, and we we will finish tidying the pond by the Village Hall car park. It was lovely to have three new people join our working party earlier this month. Two of us actually went into the pond (yes, the LEAP waders are still very waterproof) but on Saturday we will be mainly taking the clippings, and all we heaved out of the pond, to the compost heap.

We will meet at the pond at 10am on 2nd December, and finish at mid-day. We will need wheelbarrows again, if possible. Garden forks and shears would be useful too although we have some spare.

For a trial period in the New Year we are going to change the LEAP working parties to the second Saturday of the month – some people at the Carnival mentioned it was better for them, and those I have spoken to at the working parties said it was not an issue for them.

The weather for this Saturday is looking much better than last week!  As a reminder we are planning to go into the pond by the Village Hall car park. We hope that a few of us can don the waders to pull out as much growth as possible from one end of the pond. There’s plenty of work needed on the sides of the pond for the rest of us.

We’ll meet at 10am on Saturday (11th November) at the Village Hall car park.  We’ll finish at 12 and have a break at around 11 for coffee and biscuits.  It doesn’t look like it will be raining, but please wear wellies for the mud.  If you have a wheelbarrow please bring it to help move the clippings.