Keep Burnley Beautiful: Spotlight on volunteer at Offshoots permaculture site and one of founder members of Trees for Burnley
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“A lot of people in Burnley don’t realise what we have on the doorstep, “ said June. “ We have an abundance of wonderful countryside, parks and green spaces.”
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Hide AdThe focus of our ‘Keep Burnley Beautiful’ campaign this week, June is originally from Lincolnshire. She made Burnley her home six decades ago when she met and married her late husband Bob. He too was a keen conservationist and the couple were involved in the launch of Trees for Burnley. And June is still an active member today, taking part in tree planting in the summer and maintenance in the winter months.
Trees For Burnley was set up in 1992. Back then, woods comprised only around for per cent of the town, according to Simon Goff, founding member, who is also Head of Greenspaces at Burnley Council. It was the same year as the Rio Earth Summit, which encouraged people to ‘think globally and act locally.’ With this in mind, the volunteers have helped to increase Burnley’s woodland coverage from four to eight per cent over the past 30 years. In short, they have planted 1M trees! At the Burnley Express backed Above and Beyond awards in 2023 June herself was highly commended in the Lifetime Achievement category for her sterling efforts.
June is also a regular volunteer at Offshoots, based in the old kitchen garden in Towneley. An active site for over 25 years, initially it was a community site showcasing how a family might become self sufficient on a small piece of land using permaculture principles. Permaculture aims to allow humans to farm and grow whilst respecting the land and it’s resources, so it promotes reusing, recycling and organic methods.
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Hide AdIn recent years Offshoots was taken on by Newground Together which is a subsidiary of Together Housing. The aim is to continue to run the site inline with its initial principles and ideas, whilst providing opportunities for local residents to volunteer, learn new skills and socialise with other members of the community. The project works with Burnley residents,s chool groups and vulnerable adult groups.
June said: “The site is open for people to come learn about growing fruit and vegetables and ornamental plants, to engage with and better understand wildlife, or to just enjoy the peace and quiet of our surroundings.
“It really is a beautiful spot in the heart of Burnley, I would love for more families to come down and enjoy it.”
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Hide AdProject manager Claire Hopley said that June was an ‘invaluable’ member of the team thanks to enthusiasm and knowledge in terms of planting and also the area. A new build project on site will provide a semi outdoor classroom space / mucky classroom for schools, groups and organisations that wish to spend time in the great outdoors. We are hoping it will generate lots of opportunities for people in the local area to further engage with nature and the parkland.
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