News

Taking place in Marlborough Town Hall on 3^rd October, the Challenge Poverty event will feature Danny Kruger MP, Cllr Jane Davies from Wiltshire Council and Suzanne Wigmore CEO of Citizen’s Advice Wiltshire.

Alex Montegriffo, Project Officer at the foodbank says:

As part of Challenge Poverty Week 2024, Devizes and District Foodbank, joint with Marlborough Area Poverty Action Group, invite the community of Marlborough to this event to challenge the systems that are contributing to local poverty, for example housing-related issues, and to get information on the different levels that destitution is being challenged on - local, regional and national.

The speakers will give short presentations followed by questions from the audience, and answers. The event is all about challenging perceptions of poverty in Marlborough, starting conversations with decision-makers, and hearing about projects in Marlborough, Wiltshire and the UK that aim to challenge the systems that are pushing people towards poverty.

As a food bank, we know that food is not the answer to rising poverty in the UK. The people who are pushed towards a food bank are not just struggling with affording food, but also paying rent, bills, buying school uniform, and other essential costs. The factors that push people towards food banks include precarious work, low wages, a flawed social security system, and housing issues, amongst others.

As well as the three speakers, the Mayor of Marlborough, and Town Councillor, Kym-Marie Cleasby, will be attending.

For any enquiries, please contact Chairman of Devizes and District Foodbank, Richard Oliver, on richard@devizesdistrict.foodbank.org.uk.

This autumn will be busy at Savernake Forest. Timber harvesting that was postponed last year will resume from August until the end of the year. We will work hard to keep disruption to a minimum, but there will be times where we will need to close access around the central areas of the woodland so we can work safely nearby.

Some of our work areas are classified as Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/historic-environment-resources/ancient-woodland/ (PAWS) which means that we are gradually managing them back to the way they would have been several hundred years ago. We will prioritise removing non-native tree species to benefit native broadleaf trees and, where possible, open up more space around some of Savernake’s special veteran trees to support their health.

There is more information about this work on our website at https://www.forestryengland.uk/article/forestry-operations-savernake-forest

We will also be identifying veteran trees of the future in an area of 1950s oak plantation. We will be removing the straighter oaks to give space to ones with potential to develop veteran form and characteristics, such as broad, open crowns.

By starting work now, we can take advantage of the lower rainfall at this time of year and keep disturbance to Savernake’s irreplaceable soils to a minimum. Where possible, machinery will travel along specified routes to protect the soils, veteran tree roots, and scheduled monuments.

Our work involves thinning trees – where we remove selected trees for timber products – to give those remaining more space and light to grow to their full potential. Thinning also lets more light onto the forest floor, which improves the habitat for ground flora and the wildlife it supports.Between September and January 2025 we will also be thinning trees at Bedwyn Common, Cobham Frith, and Chisbury for timber products. At the same time, we will remove trees showing signs of Chalara ash dieback; a destructive disease that causes trees to become brittle, drop branches, or fall altogether.

As work progresses, we’ll be sharing updates on our Facebook page: - Savernake Forest – Forestry England. As ever, if you have any questions about Forestry England’s work in Savernake Forest, please drop us a line to westengland@forestryengland.uk.

by Nikki Morgans, Area Forester

It continues to be a busy month in the forest as we take advantage of the season to get to work on some of Savernake Forest’s pond habitats.

Savernake is a ‘dry forest’ with no water courses. But there are several scattered historic ponds surrounded by important wetland and wet woodland habitats. In the past, the ponds would have been sources of water for grazing animals but they became clogged and dried out in recent decades. We have brought several ponds back into management by removing trees and dredging to improve these habitats for wildlife, such as invertebrates and bats.

This month, we have been working on Column Pool, Kite Pool, Thornhill Pond, and Pottery Pool. Our ecologist chose these particular ponds as having the most potential benefit for great-crested newts, a European Protected Species. Some are already being used by great-crested newts and improving other ponds will hopefully create a wider network of suitable habitat. Of course, what is good for the newts will be beneficial for many other species as well. We have been removing silt from the ponds, to create more open water, and reducing surrounding vegetation to allow more light through.

Newts spend winter in the wider forest so now is the perfect time to make these improvements. In the spring, the newts should return to the ponds to mate. The male newt courts the female, who will go on to lay about 200 eggs, individually wrapped in leaves from pond plants.

If you’re visiting the forest this month, it’s a great time to see goshawk in the woods. In late winter and early spring, the birds fly high above the trees in an elaborate ‘sky-dance’ display to their mate. Goshawk are particularly vocal during this period and you may hear their distinctive “kek-kek-kek” call, especially early in the morning.

If you have any questions about Forestry England’s work in Savernake Forest, please drop us a line to westengland@forestryengland.uk.

by Nikki Morgans, Area Forester

If you love getting out and about but also want to support a cause in achieving its aim, then becoming a Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust (WBVT) Collection Box Volunteer. This could be the right step for you. You will be involved in displaying our collection boxes in your local community to help raise funds for WBVT.

In this community-spirited volunteer role, your support will include getting involved in the following:

• Getting out and about to display our iconic collection boxes in your local community
• Networking with organisations to share our cause and encourage them to display our collection boxes
• Maintain an accurate list of the location of the collection boxes and the dates on which they have been replaced or emptied
• At suitable intervals be responsible for the collection and replacement of these collection boxes
• Being an ambassador for WBVT

You'll ideally:

• Have good organisational skills to organise distribution of collection boxes
• Have good communication skills to spread the word about WBVT
• Be looking to commit to 8hrs a week which is flexible to allow you to enjoy a work-life balance

· The minimum age of this volunteer role is Over 18 and you will require your own vehicle, insurance, and Driving Licence

If you don’t feel you tick every box but are sure this role is the one for you, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to suggestions and are very happy to chat with you to find out what’s possible, so please just get in touchtoni@wbvt.org

The following is a quick guide to what is and isn’t the responsibility of the Fire and Rescue Service when storm damage occurs:

Local authority information is as follows:

• Swindon Borough Council – call 01793 445500 or report online.
• Wiltshire Council – call 0300 456 0105 or report online.