2 Oct 2024
In March this year, Mark and his wife Amanda moved to Westbrooke Grove in Caistor. Upon seeing a worn and stagnant pond and gardens, Mark decided that he wanted to help regenerate the pond and the street, so he quickly gathered fellow residents Husband and Wife Veronica and David, Dot, Jessie and Tina and a willing group of volunteers were formed.
The pond has been at the centre of this community since the 1970s, when the residents believe it was created. Due to efforts from a previous group of volunteers from 2008 onwards, the pond won the Caistor in Bloom competition in 2011 but it has been 5 years since the gardens on the street have received any care, whilst the pond has been left since 2020, with local support being put to a stop by theCovid-19 pandemic.
In order to restore the pond to its former glory, residents volunteered and worked tirelessly on a daily basis. Mark and David spent most of their time digging, labouring and cutting grass. Amanda and Veronica dedicated their time to planting, watering and flower arrangement, whilst Veronica also varnished, cleaned and moved a tribute bench which had become damaged. Dot played her part by keeping everyone’s thirst at bay by providing plenty of refreshments, in addition to looking after one of the corners of the pond, whilst Tina and Jessie helped with weeding, planting and cleaning the pond. These combined efforts meant that the residents needed to find answers to their original question when starting “What are we going to do with all the growth and rubbish that has been cleared from the pond?” This question was soon answered as Michael Galligan from Caistor in Bloom offered his support by cleaning the 25 bags of waste for the residents. Michael also kindly supplied them with tubs, soil, compost and plants.
As part of the pond’s regeneration, the residents have ensured it’s eco-friendly as they have used their own money to purchase a pump and three large water butts which are regularly filled up with water. As the pond sits below a local spring, there is a constant water flow recycled by the pumps which is then used for gardening and watering the flowers on the street.
Thanks to the residents giving up thousands of hours of their time to volunteer to restore the pond, numerous wildlife have returned including frogs, toads, water boatman, pond skaters, newts, tadpoles and on occasion, even some coots have been spotted.
The residents efforts for the community go far beyond the pond and the gardens. They have bought a bench for everyone to use, and this has become the focal point of the street, with residents meeting at the bench daily to take a well-deserved break from their volunteering efforts. Every Sunday, Amanda and Veronica bake cakes for the residents, as they enjoy hot drinks and sit and talk for hours. There has even been talk of a BBQ (weather dependent!) or a cricket match for the residents of the street too!
Back in June the residents entered their street into the Caistor in Bloom competition and it’s easy to see why. Walking round the street you’re surrounded by bright and beautiful flowers beds, a peaceful pond and plenty of smiling residents. Local resident Julie shared her thanks for the residents’ efforts, saying “I take my hat off to them, they’ve done a grand job”
The hard work has only just begun, as Mark shared his vision for the pond “We’ll continue to keep it tidy to allow the wildlife to thrive.”
Through volunteering, socialising, and building friendships, the residents of Westbrooke Grove have transformed their street and have vowed to continue their efforts to ensure the street continues to blossom. All donations for plants and flowers are welcome as the residents continue to bring happiness and joy to a street to be proud of.
