The Care for Cleveleys volunteers have been looking at Water Butts and Barrels – for Eco Friendly Plant Watering in ’24. Before any more planters are added it’s important to make sure that the volunteers can water them easily and responsibly. Otherwise it all becomes a bind!
Water Butts and Barrels – Eco Friendly Plant Watering ’24
As of summer 2024, the current selection of planters and pots across the town can just about be watered and looked after with the trusty town centre bowser. However, it’s currently filled from a mains water supply which isn’t ideal. And it doesn’t provide enough water for all of the plants in one filling. However, new pots are self watering so they don’t all have to be done every day.
At the start of the 2024 season the decision was made not to add any more load onto the current watering capability. Instead we would look to site water butts and barrels on downpipes across town. Not only enabling the collection of grey water, it will also site the water near to the places where it’s needed. Bear in mind that volunteers tend to be in the older age range – and water is heavy!
Securing Water Butts and Barrels
Thanks go to several organisations for donating water collection receptacles of various shapes and sizes. First up was Fleetwood company Biocore Agri who donated a whopping ibc water tank. Then United Utilities provided four black water butts. Then Wyre Council donated three empty blue barrels – the delivery containers for AdBlue solution for their vehicle fleet. Not only will they be re-used they’re also made from 100% high grade recycled plastic. All they need is a tap fitting!
Securing Permission
Obviously we can’t just turn up and connect water barrels to downpipes! But the lengthy process of securing permission from property owners, landlords and tenants is well underway.
Everyone Welcome to help with Cleveleys In Bloom 2024!
Please follow what we do (and join in) on our Care for Cleveleys Facebook page. We post photos there of every activity, including events and meetings for people to join in. It’s great fun and a good way to get out and about and make new friends. Why don’t you join in and give it a go!
Help to water the plants…
Would you like to help to water the plants around the town centre? It’s a pleasant job for a sunny evening – they don’t usually need doing when it’s raining! Join the Care for Cleveleys team and help out with an occasional session. Who waters and when is arranged through a private Messenger group. A call goes out for the next week or so asking who is available and when to set a rota for the few days ahead. The more people who offer to help, the less often you’ll need to do it! If you’d like to join in just get in touch via the Care for Cleveleys Facebook group.
Thanks also go to Wyre Council who provide an annual grant to the town to support our In Bloom entry. It makes a big difference to what we’re able to do. But everything costs such a lot of money and it’s nowhere near enough for the plans that we’ve got! So the Care for Cleveleys team run various fundraising projects throughout the year including the £3 a month campaign. All proceeds go to making Cleveleys look lovely.
Thankyou
The intention is for Cleveleys to keep blooming! We want it to continue as an attractive destination for visitors as well as being a wonderful place to live.
We’d particularly like to thank everyone who is really embracing the spirit of Care for Cleveleys. It’s encouraging to see so many helping out and really helps to encourage volunteers to do more.
In this project we would particularly like to thank the following:
- Biocore Agri for donating a 1000 litre ibc tank
- United Utilities for donating four black water butts
- Wyre Council for repurposing three blue barrels