Friends of Tawd Valley

13/06/2026

KINGFISHER CLUB - Our annual Teddy Bears Picnic was well attended today, with children, parents and teddies all enjoying themselves. Although it was windy; we enjoyed a beautiful walk in the valley and identified/found a woodpecker nest in a tree (not disturbed) and looked for bugs in the meadow. Sadly it was a little too windy for butterflies. Thank you to everyone who attended and made it such a special morning.

12/06/2026

Despite the rainy weather this morning, Team Tawd were out in the valley working alongside Ranger Ben to help keep our pathways accessible and welcoming for everyone.
Today’s tasks included cutting back overhanging branches and collecting litter along the routes. It may have been wet underfoot, but the team got stuck in and made a real difference.
A big thank you to everyone who turned out and worked so hard in challenging conditions. Your dedication and commitment to improving the valley are greatly appreciated.

11/06/2026

08/06/2026

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC.

🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻

CALLING ALL TEDDY BEARS!
On Saturday 13th of June at 10am we are holding our Teddy Bears Picnic (meeting up at the Classroom on the Allotment Site, Manfield, Ashurst, Skelmersdale WN8 6SU)

Bring your little people, your grown ups and your picnic for an adventure into our wildflower meadows and see how many bugs and flowers you can find!

After our adventure we will be having our picnic by Summer Street Park so you and your little people can have loads of fun together.

All children must be accompanied by an adult and a Teddy Bear.
The route will be suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs

Rumour has it the weather will be lovely as well!

See you on Saturday🥪🍪🧃🍿

06/06/2026

We had a fantastic turnout for our volunteer day, this morning. The team made a brand-new BUG HOTEL to replace the one that was unfortunately burnt down by vandals recently. The new hotel will provide homes and refuge for a whole host of wildlife, such as insects, amphibians and small mammals and birds. Thank you so much to both those who joined us and for those that supplied materials for the hotel's creation.

05/06/2026

Team Tawd were out again this morning working alongside Ranger Ben, splitting into two groups to tackle a variety of jobs around the valley.
One group repaired a fence that had been damaged by a fallen tree before carrying out some litter picking, helping to keep the area safe and tidy. Meanwhile, the second group strimmed the edges of the pathways near the allotments, making them more accessible for everyone to enjoy.
A big thank you to all the volunteers and Ranger Ben for their hard work and dedication. Every task, big or small, helps make a real difference to the Tawd Valley and is greatly appreciated.

West Lancashire Borough Council Parks & Countryside Ranger Service

31/05/2026

🐛🐝FRIENDS OF TAWD VALLEY SATURDAY VOLUNTEERING🐞🪲
JUNE 6th

These Volunteering Sessions seem to come around quicker than ever, or maybe it's just me!
This coming Saturday we have a really important task to complete. Some of you may have read that the Bug Hotel we constructed a few years ago in the Community Orchard was recently destroyed by vandals setting it on fire!
A very senseless and selfish act!
We need as many people as possible to come along and help with its reconstruction and to tidy up the area in the Community Orchard.
It is something a little bit different to our usual tasks and would surely appeal to volunteers of all ages.
If you would like to help us on Saturday then come along to the Community Classroom, Manfield, Ashurst WN8 6SU for a 10am start
As always please come dressed for the weather on the day and any Volunteers under the age of 18 will need to bring an adult with them.
At the end of the session light refreshments will be available and of course a chance to chat!

If you are interested in helping with the Bug Hotel and you have any bits of wood, tree branches, wood pallets, chicken wire you are wanting to get rid of then bring it along with you- we will make good use of it!
Hope to see you on Saturday

Sent on behalf of the FoTV Committee

29/05/2026

The weather was a little cooler this morning than it has been all week, making it ideal for another productive session in the valley for Team Tawd and Ranger Ben.

The Team spent the morning strimming along a pathway to clear back the overgrowth and improve access for visitors, and they also did some much needed balsam bashing to help try and control the spread of this invasive plant.

Well done and many thanks to all involved helping to keep the valley accessible and clearing another area of balsam, making a real difference to the valley.

22/05/2026

Today’s Team Tawd report is sadly a very disappointing one.

Regrettably there have been several incidents of vandalism in the valley and Team Tawd, working alongside Ranger Ben, spent the morning trying to repair and clear some of the damage caused.

On arriving at their meeting place at the allotments they discovered that the bug hotel in the orchard, built by volunteers and local children, had been deliberately set on fire. The blaze was so severe that the fire brigade had to be called to extinguish it. This follows an incident last week when a bin was set on fire in the valley by two boys from a local high school. We know which school was involved and they have been contacted.

At the bike track the team found graffiti sprayed across rocks and all over the notice board, making it impossible to read. There was also a large amount of litter scattered around the area and a dangerous bike jump had been constructed using a large log, which had to be removed for safety reasons. Also the tool station put in for cyclists to use had been damaged too.

All of these incidents are extremely disheartening. So much hard work is put into the valley by the Rangers, Team Tawd and Friends of Tawd Valley, only for it to be damaged by mindless vandalism.

However, as a community group we want to work positively with all sections of the community, including local schools, to help make the valley an even better place for everyone. After reporting these incidents to the police, they will arrange for the Neighbourhood Policing Team to come and meet with us to discuss ways of resolving the situation.

We hope that by working together, and perhaps visiting schools to explain what we do in the valley and what we are trying to achieve, young people will better understand the importance and value of Skelmersdale’s greatest asset.

15/05/2026

Team Tawd welcomed two members of the NHS Social Prescribing team this morning who joined the volunteers to see first-hand the work that goes into caring for the valley.
Working alongside Rangers Ben and Hannah, the team spent the morning cutting back overhanging branches and strimming along a pathway to help prepare the route for the cycling event taking place on July 1st.
Great work by everyone involved - they’ve made a real difference today. Thank you all for all your hard work.

West Lancashire Borough Council Parks & Countryside Ranger Service