Looking at FOGG’s sister group, the Cherishing Sidmouth’s Cemeteries project, there are many things they have in common.
Much of what each working party has undertaken has been about taking out strangling monoculture and bringing in greater variety, which should delight both human and wildlife visitors and residents: Planting woodland bulbs at the Cemetery and Replacing invasives with insect-friendly plants at the Cemetery.
As well as working with the plants and landscape, both projects have the rich past of their sites as a key focal point of interest: History and heritage at the Sid Valley’s graveyards – Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries
Unfortunately, it’s not all been a matter of perfect progress.
It is not just these sites which have suffered from neglect over the years.
It is felt that both projects also have failings in the management regime in common – with both working parties sharing a sense that the council is not stepping up to the plate: The Management Plan for Sidmouth Cemetery still isn’t working – Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries
Members of each working party are more than prepared to put in the hours every Thursday morning – but it is felt that the council needs to show much more commitment to the projects, to the volunteers and to the long-term care of these very special places.
Over the next week, the FOGG project will be pushing for progress to be made on very specific issues – including: Installing new benches along the Glen, Filling in potholes along the Glen and Infrastructure along the Glen.
And in parallel, the Cherishing Sidmouth’s Cemeteries will be doing the same on its very specific issues.
Finally, a huge thank you to the volunteers for all their efforts – carrying on regardless.
Here are FOGG volunteers hard at work back in March.
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