Town’s nature reserve retains ‘outstanding’ status in Britain in Bloom

CONIGRE Mead Nature Reserve has achieved a ‘Level 5 – Outstanding’ for the fourth time in the Britain in Bloom RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood competition.  

The reserve, alongside the river Avon between Sainsbury’s and the town cemetery, was Melksham’s only entry in this year’s competition.  

“We were all really pleased to find out the nature reserve had won,” said Reserve volunteer, Linda De Santiz. “We were judged on 8th August by Martin Hambidge who joined myself, volunteer Jo Mowday and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s south estates officer, Andy Dunn.  

“The reserve is owned by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust but maintained by volunteers. We have a group of dedicated volunteers who meet monthly for work mornings; we carry out varying tasks including litter picking, grass path mowing, strimming, coppicing and pollarding.” 

If anyone is interested in joining the group, please register at: https://volunteering.wiltshirewildlife.org/index-classic