Many hands make light work

From the gardens and the church to the school and the community centre, the island has been well cared for this winter thanks to wonderful volunteers...

Setting the precedent for annual volunteering on the island is the Abbey Garden. For many years now, keen gardeners from across the world have come to Tresco for a stint in order to lend a hand and learn about our unique garden. This year has been no different and we are so grateful to those who have joined our Abbey Garden team over the winter - with special thanks to those who have been here in the wake of Storm Goretti.

And the volunteering has not stopped there!...

"We were lucky enough to have our annual visit from Brett Haythorpe this winter," writes island beekeper and environmental enthusiast Jilly. "He led the landscape recovery team of volunteers and was concentrating on improving bio diversity on the island, working with both Tresco island and the church. As part of the project, Poppy, Will, Luke and Brett worked tirelessly to help clean the church yard; please do walk around as you will notice graves that haven’t seen daylight for quite a while and a new pollinator garden planted around the flame tree.

Their time was mostly split between the churchyard - where they cut back the hedges - and the school playground where they prepared the area for the children to see out their dreams of growing vegetables and flowers and eating their lunch whilst overlooking the wildlife and the church. Brett and the team also made good progress at the parsonage where they cleared up storm damage and chipped fallen branches. Moreover, new plants were donated by the Abbey Garden team in order to enhance the area and 50 more apple trees were grafted for future planting.

Thank you to this wonderful team for making such a big difference!"

Also this winter, Tresco Community Centre committee member Alison - alongside Jilly and 19 Five Islands school children - came to the Community Centre to help plant up their recently acquired rowing boat planter. This was part of the children’s volunteering week and marked the first step in the Community Centre's efforts to smarten up the outside areas of the building.

"A big thank you to everyone involved," writes committee chair Grace, "we can’t wait to see it in full bloom by summer!"

And there is even more volunteering to mention where the Community Centre is concerned, as several residents met up to mend church hassocks a few weeks ago. What's more, the annual plea for donations for the Red Cross was once again a success with another container filled and soon heading to the mainland. It has truly been a period of mucking in and getting things done! Thank you to everyone involved.

"The children from Tresco and Bryher Base had a truly rewarding and productive “Scilly Service” week this February," writes base leader Abi Meaton. "Throughout the week, they learned about the many dedicated volunteers who support and care for our community, while also actively contributing themselves.

The children helped Rachel with cleaning the church, polishing the brass, wiping down the pews, and sweeping the floors. We were pleased to welcome Tom, Richard, and Logan, who spoke to the children about their roles as volunteer firefighters and first responders, offering valuable insight into their important work. Jilly and Emma also delivered an engaging and informative session on safeguarding our island’s biosecurity.

The final day focused on revitalising our school garden. We were fortunate to have a number of volunteers join us to help clear the overgrown space. Together, we spent the day removing weeds, shifting gravel, and constructing raised beds. We are especially grateful to Graham and Ruth for removing the tree stumps, and to Emma and Jack for generously sharing their expertise and hard work.

It was a wonderful week that highlighted the importance of community spirit, service, and collaboration."