Sidmouth Annual Town Assembly: record amount of grants to festivals and groups

The Town Council's annual assembly always provides an opportunity to showcase local groups - who are also recipients of council grants for that year, for example in 2013:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Annual Report: grants to local organisations

Last year, it was not only cash being handed out - but support for key projects, including:
Futures Forum: Getting the backing of the town council for a plastic-free Sidmouth @ annual Town Assembly > Monday 9th April > BREAKING NEWS: "100% support for the Plastic Free Coastlines bid"

This year's awards were particularly generous:
Grants_List_2019.pdf

For events/festivals:
Sidmouth & East Devon Walking Festival 1,000 
Sidmouth Carnival 500 
Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub CIC (Seafest) 750 
Sidmouth Literary Festival 500 
Sidmouth Regatta 1,500 
Sidmouth Science Festival 3,000 

And for organisations - with the largest grants:
Citizens Advice East Devon 2,000 
East Devon Support Group (Parkinsons UK) 750
Revitalise Respite Holidays 750
Sid Valley Food Bank 750
Sidmouth Arboretum 1,500

See:
Official Sidmouth Town Council Website - Sidmouth Town Council

Last week, three key groups gave presentations at the Annual Town Assembly, as reported by the Herald: 

Grants galore for good Sidmouth causes thanks to town council

PUBLISHED: 07:30 19 April 2019

Beth Sharp

Friends of the Byes volunteers young and old gave up their time to make the bee hotel which has won a prize.

More than £16,000 has been given to 19 different good causes in Sidmouth, the biggest amount of money the town council has ever handed out.

Three of the selected few gave special presentations at the authority's annual meeting, which was held on Monday (April 15) at St Francis Hall in Woolbrook.

The first talk was given by Norma Self, of the Sidmouth and East Devon Walking Festival - which received a grant of £1,000.

The eight-day event, which is now in its sixth year, will take place between September 21 and 27. It offers a choice of free inland and coastal walks every day and celebrates East Devon's scenic views. Norma said: “It gets bigger and better every day. We bring in visitors from all over the countryside and we also have had people from as far as Australia and Canada. It really does bring in people from everywhere. We just love showing people our wonderful countryside.”

Louise Cole was the next person to give a presentation on Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub (Seafest 2019) - which received a grant of £750. This year's event will take place on Saturday, May 18, and celebrates everything in, on and from the sea. The 2019 Seafest will have a special focus on promoting difference, inclusion, environmentalism and sustainable development through music, art, food, singing, crafts and coastal heritage.

Louise said: “This will be our sixth Sidmouth Seafest. We run it completely voluntarily. Our vision is about connecting people with the coast and to enjoy the sea carefully together. It is about celebrating our coastal location, picking up all the issues around us, in a beautiful environmental location.”

The last presentation was given by Monica Matthews from the Friends of The Byes (FOTB) - which received a £280 grant.

She said: “This lovely area is quite unique. FOTB was set up in 2010 with money from the lottery and the idea was to improve the biodiversity of The Byes to make it an education resource for people in the town and over the years a lot has happened.”

Over the years, FOTB's work has included planting a community orchid which also now has picnic tables, a herb garden and soft fruit. Children have also used it to learn about the environment and some have built bug hotels.

Grants galore for good causes thanks to Sidmouth Town Council | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
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A Celebration of Trees > photos and thanks

A great time was had by all at last week's Arboretum event:
Futures Forum: A Celebration of Trees > Friday 30th November > stalls, songs, talks, quiz, snacks, bar...

Or so it seems:

Story-telling from Jon Freeman

Mousey display from the National Trust

Intent attention from attendees

Prize-giving from quiz-master Ed Dolphin

Song and movement from Sid Vale Folk

Sidmouth Arboretum - Home | Facebook

With a thank-you in today's letters pages of the Herald:

“The Sidmouth Arboretum would like to thank all those who generously gave their time to enlighten and entertain us all at last Friday’s Celebration of Trees.

Firstly, we are very grateful to Nikki and her team at Kennaway House for their as-ever professional preparation of the Cellar Bar for the occasion.

The evening was kicked off by the joyous melodies of Tess Bisson and the Sid Vale Folk, all in good voice and filling the space with songs celebrating trees.

A big thanks too to our speakers – to John Wilding MBE, head of Forestry and Environment at Clinton Devon Estates; to Tracey West of Word Forest, based in Lyme Regis but doing fantastic work with reforestation projects in Kenya; and to Jon Freeman of the Clyst Valley Ancient Trees project who gave us a wonderfully lively rendition of a folk tale from the wilds of old Scandinavia.

The fantastic array of stalls from other tree-minded groups added to the variety of the evening, including: Devon Wildlife Trust, Friends of the Byes, Forestry Commission, National Trust, Sid Vale Association, Sid Valley Bat Research Project and Sidmouth Rotary Club.

Not forgetting our thanks to local woodturners Diana and Martin Russell and to local artist Cherry Ferris and her beautiful pyrography work – who brought in craft as seasonal gifts to take away.

And thank you to all the members of the public who turned up to join in the fun.

We at the Sidmouth Arboretum look forward to seeing everyone again next year at our Celebration of Trees.”

Sidmouth and Ottery breaking news and sport - Sidmouth Herald
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A Celebration of Trees > Friday 30th November > stalls, songs, talks, quiz, snacks, bar...

Last Saturday saw Sidmouth's first Tree Dressing:

Sidmouth Arboretum added 7 new photos to the album Tree Dressing 2018 — at Sidmouth Parish Church

24 November at 10:42 · 

The Arboretum's first annual tree dressing to celebrate Tree Charter Day. The awful weather didn't dampen enthusiasm.

Sidmouth Arboretum - Home | Facebook
Futures Forum: Tree-dressing at Sidmouth Parish Church > decorating a veteran yew > Saturday 24th November

And tomorrow sees more celebration of trees:

Sidmouth Arboretum 
Futures Forum: A Celebration of Trees > Friday 30th November
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Support Friends of the Byes

A message just received from the Friends of the Byes: 

Hello all,

Friends of the Byes is really pleased to be chosen by Waitrose Community Matters as one of three good causes for their July campaign.

Voting can be done by the green plastic chips when you buy something at the Sidmouth store between 3rd and 31st July.

Hope you are able to support us, it would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you!

Monica Matthews (FoTB)

FOTBSidmouth
Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project - Home | Facebook
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The Big Lunch on The Ham >>> Saturday 2nd June >>> Anne Swithenbank to open the Sensory Garden

Last August saw fun and games at the Ham:
Futures Forum: Grand Picnic on the Ham > reports of 'a perfect day'

The same should be happening tomorrow: 

Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project - Home | Facebook
Sidmouth In Bloom

With a little more on the Sensory Garden here:
Sidmouth In Bloom | History
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Sidmouth Arboretum > tree planting and tree labelling

The Arboretum has been very busy of late with plans for the coming year:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Arboretum > tree planting, tree trail leaflets, guided walks and raising of awareness

It has already started: 

Hundreds of trees added to Sidmouth’s ‘secret’ forest

PUBLISHED: 17:45 19 March 2018

Beth Sharp

The volenteers pleased with their work.

More than 200 trees have been planted in Sidmouth’s ‘secret’ forest.

Members of the town’s rotary club joined Sidmouth College students and spent three hours helping to expand the wooded area bordering the Sid Vale Scout Centre, on Salcombe Regis Road.

The volunteers managed to plant numerous hornbeam, holly, field maple and hazel trees which create a whole new grove.

They were planted as part of an on-going partnership between Sidmouth Rotarians and Sidmouth College.

It all began as a ‘Save Planet Earth’ initiative launched by Rotary International. Over the years more than 4,000 trees have been planted in various locations with the help of students, Rotarians and the town Arboretum.

Sandy Macfadyen, the rotary club’s environmental organiser said: “We have planted trees every year since the early 1990s.

“They all add to the charm of the town.”

Hundreds of trees added to Sidmouth’s ‘secret’ forest | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

And then there is the question of how much help do we want when we take a walk through the woods and trees of the Valley: 

Added extras on the tree trails in Sidmouth

PUBLISHED: 07:00 18 March 2018 | UPDATED: 09:02 20 March 2018

Golden copse. Picture: Diana East

There is so much information about trees but Diana East, president of Sidmouth Arboretum asks how much should be included at each site.

Yellow wittch hazel. Picture: Diana East

A blue tit was singing from high on a silver birch in January when it was mild and damp, and the tree surgeons were so busy trying to fit in all their customers before the bird nesting season brings an end to certain jobs.

Though the silver birch had bare branches at that time, there are some early flowers on trees and shrubs such as witchhazel, acacia and shrubby honeysuckle.

These appear before the daffodils under the woodland canopy brighten our walks in March.

Witchhazel is a small shrubby tree, and has weird spider-like flowers and attractive autumn leaf colour, and remembering I would find them in flower, I went up to the Sid Vale Association’s Margaret’s Meadow to visit Golden Copse and their yellow flowered witchhazel (Hamamelis mollis) and sure enough they were performing magnificently.

Golden copse label. Picture: Diana East

They have only a faint scent, but are brilliant yellow, and if you gently shake a branch, the petals rain down to the grass below.

Not all witchhazels are yellow, however, and I have a red-flowered version, which doesn’t stand out so well in the landscape.

Anyway the SVA have recently put labels on the trees in Golden Copse and not only is this one way of learning about tree names, but it is a great way to enhance a walk on the many footpaths of the valley.

Sidmouth Arboretum has three tree trail leaflets and it would be good practice to label some of the trees that are on the leaflet walks and some which are mentioned as of particular interest in the text.

Red witch hazel. Picture: Diana East

The question is how much information do you include on the label?

In botanical collections, it is usual to give the Latin name and the common name, together with a number relating to a database, and in some cases the country or region of origin of the plant.

In addition, the Sidmouth Arboretum label shown includes a QR code, which links to the website and allows you to find out even more about the tree in question.

But perhaps that is too much information and just a number and Latin name would suffice.

Arboretum label. Picture: Diana East

More discussion is needed and, of course, we don’t own the trees, so we will work with the land owners and groups such as Friends of the Byes and the relevant tree officer to agree a suitable type of label.

Sidmouth Arboretum Tree Trail leaflets for Sidbury and Salcombe Regis have just been relaunched and are available from the Tourist Information Centre and locally.

So next time you walk round our valley, you too may notice the tree name, as well as its flowers and the birds that so often draw my attention up into the tree canopy.

Added extras on the tree trails in Sidmouth | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
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National Tree Week: down on the Byes...

Friday saw a Celebration of Trees in Sidmouth:
Futures Forum: Great Trees in the Clyst Valley @ Celebrating Trees with the Sidmouth Arboretum > Friday 24th Novemeber

Yesterday saw the start of National Tree Week:

National Tree Week

25th November - 3rd December 2017

First initiated in 1975, National Tree Week is the UK's largest tree celebration annually launching the start of the winter tree planting season.

National Tree Week is a great chance for communities to do something positive for their local treescape. Each year, The Tree Council's member organisationssuch as voluntary bodies and local authorities, up to 200 schools and community groups, our 8,000 Tree Wardens and many others, support the initiative by setting up fun, worthwhile and accessible events, inspiring upward of a quarter of a million people to get their hands dirty and together plant around a million trees.

The Tree Council > Take Part > National Tree Week

And yesterday saw a lot of tree-planting happening in the Byes:

Album November 2017

Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project added 6 new photos — at The Byes

This Saturday 25th November Friends of the Byes helped to celebrate the start of National Tree Week http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/Take-Part/National-Tree-Week by planting some Cider apples in Sid Meadow and some Silver Birch in the wildlife copses to fill a few gaps and help create wildlife habitat.

The trees have been grown on in the FOTB ‘Community Tree Nursery’ for planting in the Byes and wider Sid Valley.

Volunteers planted the following: 

7 x Black Dabinett a Cider Apple from Somerset
1 x Captain Broad one of the best old Cider apples from Cornwall
3 x Michelin a Cider apple from Normandy
3 x Sops in Wine a Cider & Eater old English variety
1 x Morgan sweet a Cider Apple from Somerset
1 x Killerton Sharp a Cider apple from Devon
7 x Silver Birch

If you would like to join in some tree planting we will be planting again next Saturday, just come along and meet in the community Orchard or phone Kati on 07817 041239 to arrange.
http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/Take-Part/Event-Details/…/1193 

Thanks to Dave and Debbie who travelled up from Torbay to join FOTB volunteers today.

This Saturday 25th November Friends of... - Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project | Facebook
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Celebrating Trees with the Sidmouth Arboretum >>> talks, songs, stalls, gifts, food >>> Cellar Bar, Kennaway House: this Friday 24th November > more info

Friday sees the return of the annual tree bash in the Cellar Bar of Kennaway House:
Futures Forum: Celebrating Trees with the Sidmouth Arboretum >>> talks, music, stalls, quiz, food >>> Cellar Bar, Kennaway House: Friday 24th November

The Herald gives a little reminder:

‘Celebration of trees’ returns to Sidmouth arts venue

PUBLISHED: 16:03 21 November 2017 | UPDATED: 16:03 21 November 2017

Stephen Sumner

Sid Vale Folk at Sidmouth Arboretum's celebration of trees last year

Sidmouth Arboretum’s celebration of trees returns to Kennaway House on Friday evening (November 24).

Compère Jeremy Woodward said: “We will be putting on a lively mixture of talks, songs and stalls on every aspect of trees.

“We will be hearing from Clinton Devon Estates and will be joined by the likes of the Clyst Valley Ancient Trees project.

“National Trust and district council rangers will explain their projects, and we will also hear about plans for ‘the apple trail’ heading out of the Sid Valley.”

In between the short talks there will be songs and poetry, as well as plenty of breaks to wander around the variety of stalls and to enjoy a drink and food from the bar.

The evening is all about getting to know the treescape in the Sid Valley and beyond a little better – by mingling with both volunteers and professionals in the field.

The event will be in the cellar bar from 6pm to 8pm.

‘Celebration of trees’ returns to Sidmouth arts venue - Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

With more info here:
Sidmouth Arboretum

And from the Friends of the Byes:

Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project

9 November at 01:35 · 

Friends of the Byes volunteers will be at Sidmouth Arboretum's event ‘Celebrating Trees’ on Friday 24th November

If you live close to Sidmouth or just passionate about trees, please come along to this FREE event.

6pm: start with songs from Sid Vale Folk and introduction.
Poetry from Men of the Trees
Talk from John Wilding of Clinton Devon Estates
Talk from Jon Freeman of Clyst Valley Ancient Trees project
Songs from Sid Vale Folk
Talk from Richard Eley of the Apple Trail project
Talk from Nathan Robinson, EDDC Ranger
Poetry from Men of the Trees
Talk from Amelia Elvins, National Trust Ranger
Talk from Cllr Simon Pollentine, Sidmouth Town Council
Close from Arboretum
Quiz results
Songs from Sid Vale Folk
Finish at 8pm

Access to Kennaway House and the Cellar Bar will be from 5pm.

Friends of the Byes volunteers will be... - Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project | Facebook
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Sidmouth in Bloom and a host of community projects win national accolades

This year's visit by Britain in Bloom went extremely well:
Futures Forum: Britain in Bloom judges praise ‘vibrant’ Sidmouth

They were particularly impressed with the fantastic work Sidmouth in Bloom has been doing in the community:
In the second of a two-part feature, Sidmouth in Bloom’s Lynette Talbot explains what’s been happening at Sidmouth’s Old Boat Park - Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
Futures Forum: A sensory garden for Sidmouth >>> funding to help project revitalise a rather tired part of town

One such community group which has contributed to the 'vibrant Sidmouth' is Friends of the Byes:

For the third time running FoTB have received the highest award of Outstanding merit from the RHS In Your Neighbourhood scheme, so well done us! The award was graciously received by Ian Davies on behalf of everyone at the Sidmouth in Bloom Award Ceremony.

FOTBSidmouth

Friends of the Byes volunteers have been awarded the highest level of “outstanding” in this year’s RHS - Royal Horticultural Society ‘It’s your neighbourhood award’ https://www.rhs.org.uk/…/camp…/it-s-your-neighbourhood/about
Thanks to all the volunteers and people who have donated a few £’s up to £100 towards wild flowers and also to the Sid Vale Association Keith Owen Fund and Sidmouth Town Council for financial support to help make this East Devon Countryside National Trust and East Devon District Council land all the nicer for everyone to enjoy.

Friends of The Byes / Sidmouth BEE Project - Home | Facebook

All of which has contributed marvellously to Sidmouth in Bloom's fantastic success:

Sidmouth in Bloom wins gold at Britain in Bloom

06 November 2017

Clarissa Place

Sidmouth in Bloom's Lynette Talbot and Sidmouth town councillor John Dyson receives the award from presenter Iolo Williams at the Britain in Bloom awards. Credit: Tony Mottram Group Name: SIDMOTH Category: Coastal up to 12k Award: Gold & O/ALL Winner Presented By: IOLO Williams Names: Lynette Talbot & John Dyson

Sidmouth in Bloom will battle it out for the highest honour to be named the champion of champions in the whole of the UK after winning gold at Britain in Bloom.

The group scooped the top prize and was named winner of the small coastal town category at an award ceremony in Llandudno last Friday. The win has also landed Sidmouth a coveted spot in the champion of champions category, which is made up of the top entries selected by the judges.

Lynette Talbot, chairman of the group, said the group’s volunteers will need the help of residents to ‘up the ante’ ahead of next year’s inspection.

She said: “We went really to get a gold, and it is fantastic to be named the winner out of all the people who are in the category. For us it is a real achievement as we been involved for five years. It’s been a real climb.

“This will, in addition to this year’s accolade, bring great prestige to the town – tourism, place to live, place carry out volunteering, bring up children and add to all the other desirable things that make up our Sidmouth’s heritage.

“It will bring a big challenge, not only to SIB, but to all who live and work in our town. To compete with all the UK entries of all sizes and be the best we must ‘up the ante’ in all things, horticulture, environmental care and community support.”

Britain in Bloom judges Ian Beaney and Teresa Potter were full of compliments when they visited in August, praising Sidmouth for being a ‘vibrant town’ proud of its horticulture.

It follows the bloom’s success in the South West in Bloom competition, where it claimed another gold and the Sargent Cup.

Community projects including The Friends of the Byes, The Chairman’s Garden, Witheby Entrance Garden, Sidbashers and Sidcombers, The Ham garden restoring project, Margaret’s Meadow, Livonia Road Shubbery were all recognised in the It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme receiving either an outstanding or thriving rating.

Peter Endersby, of the group, added: “We need to get the whole town behind us.They need to be rooting for us 
in a practical way, it has to be the town’s campaign to get us to be the best town in the whole of Great Britain.”

The committee thanked volunteers and the district council’s Streetscene for their help this year.


Sidmouth in Bloom wins big at Britain in Bloom competition 2017 - Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
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