Chairman's Letter
Firstly, I would like to congratulate Katie Pitt, founder and long-term committee member of Friends of Petersfield Heath, on being awarded the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List. This was justly deserved for all her stalwart work over many years involving so many fund-raising activities.
Fortunately the snows in December did not affect our work party operations as severely as last winter. We continue to have a loyal group of volunteers who support our efforts on the Heath, augmented by help from Churchers College students and also from young offenders on a community reparation scheme. We now have our steel container parked discreetly on the Heath - it houses all our tools and equipment, including the trailer. My thanks to Petersfield Town Council for awarding us a grant towards the cost.
On 1st April, the South Downs National Park finally became a reality. I was so pleased that the inaugural ceremony was held on the Square and that Petersfield received the recognition it deserves.
The heather scrapes completed last autumn do not seem to have been as successful as those of previous years. However, I am pleased to report that generally the heather is thriving and we continue to discover new growth in various locations.
Hilary Bonney, our membership secretary, organised a Membership Drive on 26 March in Rams Walk and Winton House. The stall (see photo on the Gallery page) was very well supported by our members who handed out 600 leaflets and talked to numerous people. It was excellent publicity for the Friends, and resulted in our gaining over a dozen new members.
John Pike
May 2011
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