Newsletter

Summer 2026 Events & Newsletter

Last update: 12th March 2026

Summer starts with a tool sort-out and tool maintenance, mainly scythe blades, for the forthcoming mowing season and touching up the billhook and axe blades to be used in the
winter season. We will have new sharpening kits and vices to secure tools so that edge blades can be sharpened in a more efficient and safer manner. These kits have been sponsored by the National Hedge Laying Society to support the volunteers’ hedge laying training programme.

At Thornton Common the centre of the woodland ride will be cut, and the recently laid hedges weeded. A recent biological survey of the common picked upon the increasing extent of common heather and marsh orchids present at this Local Wildlife

At The cool Heswall event the volunteers will have a WCV stall and display with our own branded gazebo showcasing the group. Volunteers will be sowing seeds in newspaper pots.

June is balsam removal month when we have four evening sessions removing the balsam. Our endeavours will be supported by Cheshire Wildlife Trust mid-week work parties and Wirral Wildlife will sponsor a contractor to help too. Cover up well and bring some insect repellent.

Outdoor group meeting will be held at New Ferry Butterfly Park, tea and cake provided.

WhenWhereEventMeeting PointTime

Paul Loughnane BEM
Hon. Secretary,
Wirral Countryside Volunteers
0151 645 8937
jpl@liv.ac.uk

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When	Where	Event	Meeting Point	Time
MAY
Thurs 7th	New Ferry Butterfly Park	Tool maintenance	New Ferry Butterfly Park	7:30pm
Thurs 14th	Thornton Common	Cutting the centre of the ride & hedge weeding	Wirral Rugby Club Car Park	7:30pm
Sat 16th	Hill House Gardens	WCV stall at 5th Cool Heswall Environmental Fayre	Hill House Gardens, next to Heswall Hall	9:30am
JUNE
Thurs 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th	Thornton Wood	Balsam Pulling	Bridge over M53 Thornton Common Road	7:30pm
Mon 29th	New Ferry Butterfly Park	Group Meeting	New Ferry Butterfly Park	7:30pm
JULY
Sat 4th	Poulton Hall Walled Garden Event	WCV stall, woven willow hurdle making, mock-up hedgelaying & tool sharpening	Poulton Hall	10:30am
Thurs 16th	New Ferry Butterfly Park	Tool maintenance	New Ferry Butterfly Park	7:30pm
Sun 19th	New Ferry Butterfly Park	Scything pondside and BBQ grassland a.m. & Charlies Field p.m.	New Ferry Butterfly Park	9:30am
AUGUST
Sat 15th	Thornton Common	Scything the woodland ride and glade plus hedge weeding	Wirral Rugby Club Car Park	9:30am
SEPTEMBER
Sat 5th	Thornton Wood	Lamperloons Coppice Completion	Bridge over M53 Thornton Common Road	9:30am
Sun 13th	New ferry Butterfly Park	Scything and BBQ 4pm	New Ferry Butterfly Park	9:30am

Please bring enthusiasm, friends, stout footwear, work gloves, waterproofs & lunch.
Want to know more...?
Visit Wirral Countryside Volunteers’ website: (HYPERLINK "http://www.wcv.today/"www.wcv.today) or the Wirral Countryside Volunteer’s Facebook page.
e: admin@wcv.today or Phone: Philippa 01516458937 or email indseyemail@yahoo.com.

All Welcome         No experience necessary

At Poulton Hall there is a charity event for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. The distinctive gardens will be open for viewing and cream teas served. The Volunteers will carry out a hedge laying demonstration with a mock-up willow hedge, woven hurdle making, tool sharpening and afternoon tea making. There will be a WCV stall and display. Last year we gained a hedge laying job in Willaston from our demonstration.

In July at New Ferry Butterfly Park, the volunteers have a tool maintenance evening and on the following Sunday with keen scythe blades will start the mowing regime beginning around the pond and near part of the BBQ grassland in the morning and Charlie’s Field in the afternoon. Please note as the park is open to the public that day, so there will be no volunteer parking at the park that day.

In August at Thornton Common, the woodland ride and glade will be cut. Over the last three decades there has been a change of flora from ear-high stinging nettles to orchids. Other jobs will involve continued willow removal and weeding of the recently laid hedgerow and revamping the site sign exposed by the hedge laying at Christmas.

In September, the volunteers will the complete the cutting of the top of Lamperloons Coppice which has already provided 568 hedging stakes and reduce some shade of the coppice.

September sees the continuation of the scything regime at New Ferry Butterfly Park. Please note as the park is open to the public that day so there will be no volunteer parking at the park that day.

At 4pm there will be a Community BBQ at NFBP to celebrate and enjoy the progress the park has made in the last year. Bring along a contribution to share.