January Roundup

Will this rain ever cease!

January 2016 has certainly been a very wet month for everybody and our park has become a muddy quagmire over the last few months.
Pathways have become boggy and muddy, water everywhere and even the seasonal pond has been overflowing practically every day since November, even one or two trees have toppled over.
However a little rain cannot stop the FOCBP and other organisations from getting our heads down and carrying on.

Our friends from the NEAT team are still working in the park, this time they are helping us on the BMX track project which has been laid out and is now being constructed, and they have also been involved with clearing pathways around the football pitches and second woodland areas of the park.
These will be tidied up in due course and hopefully it will make things better and easier under foot for everyone once the park dries out.
The team have also dug a trench alongside the pathway into second woods from near the Rugby pitch entrance. This is to help with drainage issues in that area.
If you are using the park we advise sensible walking footwear and to be careful as it is slippery underfoot with all the mud. But the main pathways are ok underfoot.

BMX Track

BMX Track

Cleared walkway Bottom Football Field

Drainage and Hardcore for pathway access

NEAT Team at work

Our volunteers have been out cutting back the brambles in the second woods to help with the Bluebells, but again the weather has slowed us up, and the milder climate seems to be helping one or two plants that don't normally grow at this time of year start to flower and bud early.
So we have our fingers crossed that we are going to be able to get to any undergrowth just in case the bluebells decide to put on an early show.


Access to the boardwalk has been improved as volunteers have made a concrete step which should help any wheelchair users get on to it a bit easier. As there was a slight step up originally.
All we need now is for the pathways to dry sufficiently to improve access overall.

No more step up on to the Boardwalk

Other News

We had a very disturbing case of animal cruelty in the park and many people were shocked to hear the news of these three poor shaved cats.

(click on the links to display stories)

http://www.llanellistar.co.uk/Llanelli-vets-appeal-cats-shaved-abandoned-park/story-28534832-detail/story.html

But we have recently been informed that they are now on their way to new homes.

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/New-home-cats-shaved-whiskers-chopped-dumped-park/story-28616801-detail/story.html


And we have received a nice message of support from Welsh AM Rebecca Evans, after several of FOCBP attended a meeting with City and County of Swansea Councillors at the Brangwyn Hall who recognised the impact our group was making within our own community following on from our Fields in Trust Award.

http://www.rebeccaevans4gower.com/latest-news/rebecca-evans-congratulates-coed-bach-park

But as usual we need more volunteers to come forward to help us carry the FOCBP into the future. If you have anything to offer please contact us as we would love to hear from you. And of course we would welcome you with open arms.
Monthly meetings are held on the last Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm at the Pontarddulais Cricket Club.

Phil Davies from Keep Wales Tidy has moved onto pastures new and welcome his replacement Kathryn Britton.
We would like to thank Phil for all his efforts over the last few years and we will miss him.

We currently have a few members of our team writing monthly articles for the SA4 Magazine which you can find in most public places throughout the Swansea area. But we need more Coed Bach Park related articles from you.
If you would like to help contribute please contact us through our email (top of this blog) or via our other social media sites as we would love to discuss any ideas with you.

As usual we are on Facebook and Twitter and to find us you can click on the tabs at the top of this blog.

Hope to hear from you soon.