Bowerhill Residents Action Group volunteers for the BRAG picnic area by the Kennet & Avon Canal are celebrating winning, for the sixth time, the Royal Horticultural Society and South West in Bloom “it’s your neighbourhood award of level 5 outstanding.”
Jenny Butcher from BRAG said, “Considering all the vandalism we as volunteers had to sort out in the summer months before the judging in July, it was touch and go whether it would past muster.
“BRAG would like to thank all those wonderful people, local residents, holidaymakers on narrowboats, cyclers, walkers who use the picnic site and canal path who rallied round and donated cash to us in order to sort out all the damage (£190), plus my granddaughter, Jemma, who set up a “Just Giving Site” (£298) and the Rotary Club grant of (£200) who gave us more than we had applied for.
“Also not forgetting Bowerhill resident volunteer, Colin Bush, for his constant work cutting the bridle path grass on his ride-on mower and the wonderful donation of the yellow camera bird boxes.
“This year, five of us have been working on the site area, giving a whopping 520 voluntary hours’ work during 2019, which is still ongoing, weather permitting.
“BRAG so far has spent over £200 of the above money clearing up the vandalism and is hoping to use the rest of the money on a round wooden bench which will be placed around one of our oak trees down on the site, so some good will come from this awful vandalism BRAG has had to endure.
“As volunteers, we feel very humbled that we are not alone in our love for this special place.”
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