Six ECCO members outfaced the wintry weather on Saturday morning (6 December) to achieve an impressive tidy-up of the Joan Pick legacy bed. The six warriors were led by project leader Andrea Perry.  Not strictly an ECCO member perhaps (she lives near Dartnell Park), Andrea oversees our planting and landscape development programme.  On Saturday it was some winter planting which was her main priority.

The leaf-clearing and litter-picking was undertaken by ECCO stalwarts Tomas Howard Jones, Annie Tompsett and Jerry Fitzpatrick, supported by a welcome injection of new blood in the shape of Penny Munden and Gordon Winrow. (Annie and Jerry didn’t get in the photo.)

ECCO is so pleased that the shrubs and sustainable plants put in this year have flourished, joined by some colourful wild flowers which emerged in the late spring.  It has given pleasure both to ECCO members and passers-by from further afield. Next year will be even better with Andrea poised for more planting and the creation of a green pathway.  A small oasis in the suburban desert but an oasis nonetheless.

Goodgym has been a shadow of its former self this year.  Not so the Council’s long-standing Clean and Green support officer Tracey Bellamy,  who has been as efficient, reliable and helpful as ever.

Andrea has continued to give great leadership to our project notwithstanding formidable demands on her time from pre-existing commitments.  Respect and grateful thanks to her from the ECCO Steering Group.