News 2013
December - January
Outdoor / Woodland Gym
MyPAG is delighted to have received £1000 support from The MBNA Foundation towards the cost of exercise equipment to be sited in a discreet area of Maes-y-Pant. In March a further £2525 was made available through EAFRD funding via the Welsh Government, Northern Marches Cymru's Rural Environmental Project Grant Scheme, Leader, and Wrexham County Borough Council. Combining the two grants will enable us to install a set of parallel bars; 'chin-up' bars; a balance beam and a set of low 'stride jumps'.
Many local people now exercise in the old quarry eg. jogging, running, participating in the Friday ‘boot camp’ - and we hope that a ‘woodland gym’ will encourage people of all ages to try some of the equipment. There will be equipment for all sizes, ages and abilities, so no excuse not to have a go! We have taken professional advice on construction and the best types of equipment to have. We also hope to provide for a few sessions of professional instruction on how to safely use the equipment for the many of us who have only ever appreciated it from afar!
Many local people now exercise in the old quarry eg. jogging, running, participating in the Friday ‘boot camp’ - and we hope that a ‘woodland gym’ will encourage people of all ages to try some of the equipment. There will be equipment for all sizes, ages and abilities, so no excuse not to have a go! We have taken professional advice on construction and the best types of equipment to have. We also hope to provide for a few sessions of professional instruction on how to safely use the equipment for the many of us who have only ever appreciated it from afar!
Car Park
Our thanks to Gresford Community Council, who have come to our rescue to fund the highways work necessary to the entrance of Maes y Pant. Work is likely to be carried out in late January or early February, so please look out for and comply with notices giving more details, as obviously the car park may be inaccessible for a few days. Meantime, WCBC Planners have now agreed that the car park can be used in its existing form with immediate effect to minimise problems caused by people parking outside Maes y Pant gates along Pant Lane.
Lloyds Bank Community Fund Voting Success
Thank You to everyone who voted for our Maes y Pant pond project in the Lloyds Bank funding competition.
Voting closed on 1 November, and it was announced on 26 November that by a very, very narrow margin MyPAG came in second place out of the four local entrants, which means that we will receive an award of £3000 from the Lloyds Bank Community Fund to enable us to create a wildlife pond in Maes-y-Pant. Every vote was important - this was a real community effort and MyPAG is very grateful for your support. We are really looking forward to creating the pond, and expect work to commence in January. We hope that we will have the support of interested community volunteers to help with the project. Two of our members recently went on a 'Pond Workshop', funded in part by Environment Wales, and are very keen to get started on the project. We also appreciate the support of MP Ian Lucas who visited the quarry to see general progress, and take a look at the site of the proposed pond.
Voting closed on 1 November, and it was announced on 26 November that by a very, very narrow margin MyPAG came in second place out of the four local entrants, which means that we will receive an award of £3000 from the Lloyds Bank Community Fund to enable us to create a wildlife pond in Maes-y-Pant. Every vote was important - this was a real community effort and MyPAG is very grateful for your support. We are really looking forward to creating the pond, and expect work to commence in January. We hope that we will have the support of interested community volunteers to help with the project. Two of our members recently went on a 'Pond Workshop', funded in part by Environment Wales, and are very keen to get started on the project. We also appreciate the support of MP Ian Lucas who visited the quarry to see general progress, and take a look at the site of the proposed pond.
Members of the MyPAG displaying their award certificate from Lloyds Bank Community Fund at their next board meeting.
Calon FM
Special thanks to our very good friend Dave Williams of Calon fm for giving us some air time yet again today - our third broadcast about the Maes-y-Pant project. Hopefully the broadcast will generate a few more votes towards our Lloyds Bank Community Grant application for the £3000 funds to create a wildlife pond in Maes y Pant and we were allowed to indulge in choosing a special piece of music of our choice .... a bit of Led Zeppelin and a bit of Bill Withers, along with, very appropriately, Lou Reid's 'Walk on the Wild Side'. Great hour, thanks, Dave!
Scarecrow Trail
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Beryl Blackmore organised an excellent display of scarecrows, made by local young people for Hallowe'en. Our thanks to Beryl Blackmore and her team of designers for brightening up the weekend for us...... they were great fun, and clearly lots of hard work had gone into the creations!......and not a crow in sight!!!
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Wildflower and Bluebell Planting
We are approaching 'Keep Wales Tidy' for a grant to buy wildflower seeeds and bluebell bulbs, and hope to work with local schools and youth groups to grow the seeds and plant the bulbs over the winter / spring, ready to plant out when appropriate. 'Keep Wales Tidy' and Shane Hughes have been very supportive of our project, and their support is greatly appreciated.
Car Park Landscaping
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August 31st saw a team of MyPAG volunteers led by chairman Trevor, landscape the land alongside the newly made car park. MyPAG is very grateful to all who took part, and who helped to source and provide the trees, plants and shrubs. Special thanks to B&Q who at short notice provided a colourful array of surplus plants to add colour to the area. |
Footpaths
We hope to get a finer, smoother surface laid onto the 'all abilities' footpath to make the experience smoother and easier for users. We also hope to hold a 'Volunteer Day' to sweep off the loose stones on the rest of the footpaths and make the surface more comfortable for users. There will soon (date to be advised) be a Volunteer Training Day led by North Wales Wildlife Trust, for volunteers to be trained on safe use of the brushcutter, strimmer and chipper/shredder. The training will take place on the top, informal footpath that was re-opened last year but has become overgrown during the summer: it should be accessible again very soon and now that we have equipment available the overgrowth shouldn't be a problem in future. - Provided, of course, that we have sufficient volunteers to share the work!
Benches
We are siting two more benches around the quarry, one at the top end of the 'all-abilities' footpath, and another close to the main gate. If you would like to sponsor a bench, we still require a volunteer to sponsor the one at the main gate.
Please contact trevorbritton@btinternet.com Tel 01978 855266 for further information.
Please contact trevorbritton@btinternet.com Tel 01978 855266 for further information.
Grant Funding
As a voluntary organisation, we are very dependent on the goodwill of people who generously donate their time and energies to develop Maes y Pant. There are many, and their efforts are very greatly appreciated. We have also been very fortunate to have the active support of our local politicians, both local councillors Mike Edwards and Andrew Bailey, our AM Lesley Griffiths, and MP Ian Lucas.
However, we could not manage without the generosity of grant funding, and funders, and grants from numerous sources. Heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers and funders!
However, we could not manage without the generosity of grant funding, and funders, and grants from numerous sources. Heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers and funders!
Volunteer Day - July 7th
Thanks to everyone who came along and lent a hand for this exercise. It was a very hot day, and those who took part did a great job back-filling the steps to the viewing point.
Visitors
Great to see the quarry being used by pupils from St. Peters School Rossett, and local Brownies and Rainbows. Have fun!
First Aid Course
Thanks to those who signed up to do a First Aid course ... Eight of us duly attended the First Aid course organised at Groundwork Trust, and once our certificates are delivered, we have eight qualified first-aiders. Thanks to Lou and Groundwork, and to Environment Wales who substantially funded the course for us. It was an excellent course - If you would like to be considered for a future course please contact us via the website and we will see what we can do. We are dependent on grant funding to participate but if we have enough regular volunteers on the waiting list, hopefully this can be arranged!
Scottish Power And B2C
What a fantastic job Scottish Power did to the front entrance of Maes y Pant! Really amazing, and in such a short time. And with such good humour ... And thanks to Alison of B2C for facilitating the project for us. We are very fortunate to have the benefit of such great people supporting us. The work was carried out at no cost to MyPAG, and we are very grateful for this support which will improve the area for all users.
New Footpaths and Information Boards
It's early March and we're delighted that the footpaths are now complete; nine benches have been sited; a new main gateway, 'A' frame and fence constructed at the Pant Lane entrance as well as an 'A' frame and fence at the Whiteway Drive entry. The splendid quarryman from
Simon O'Rourke now sits wearily at the main gate on a purpose-made plinth, and three very colourful and informative interpretation boards have been sited at the three main entry points to Maes y Pant, designed by Jo Dansen with drawings from pupils of
All Saints Gresford and Marford Rofft Schools.
Volunteers have helped to clear and re-open an informal footpath running from Pant Lane entrance along the top of the quarry to the Viewpoint, where a panorama board has been constructed.
And we now have a ‘Friends of Maes y Pant’ group! This will be your chance to be involved with the future of the project.
For a very modest donation ...
Simon O'Rourke now sits wearily at the main gate on a purpose-made plinth, and three very colourful and informative interpretation boards have been sited at the three main entry points to Maes y Pant, designed by Jo Dansen with drawings from pupils of
All Saints Gresford and Marford Rofft Schools.
Volunteers have helped to clear and re-open an informal footpath running from Pant Lane entrance along the top of the quarry to the Viewpoint, where a panorama board has been constructed.
And we now have a ‘Friends of Maes y Pant’ group! This will be your chance to be involved with the future of the project.
For a very modest donation ...
New Benches
Nine benches installed on the site mid-February
One of nine benches is at the viewpoint, a reward for climbing the 109 steps to the top.
In front of the bench is the wall which will take a panorama board in the future
One of nine benches is at the viewpoint, a reward for climbing the 109 steps to the top.
In front of the bench is the wall which will take a panorama board in the future
