We keep our costs to the minimum at Narroways Trust – no paid staff, or unnecessary expense. But, we do need to pay annual insurance, repair fences, buy occasional tools, put in site improvements. Any money you feel able to donate will go directly towards the upkeep of Narroways as a place for nature and a breathing space for local people.
Dear friends of Narroways,
we hope you’ve been keeping safe & well in these strange times and that you’ve also been able to benefit from all that Narroways offers – whether it’s a green space to exercise, moments of peace & reflection, a connection with nature or simply general wellbeing.
We’d also like to thank all the people who took the initiative during their walks on Narroways to litter-pick and clear up as best they can over the lock-down period. All these small acts are what makes our community and helps keep nature thriving in this little haven in the inner city.
Now that the coronavirus restrictions have partially eased we can resume our volunteer workdays – though with a few necessary operational tweaks.
Our first volunteer workday back is on Saturday 11 July.
Meet as usual at 10:30 am by the bench at the top of Narroways Hill.
Our main tasks will be cutting back vegetation especially where it is growing over paths, and tacking the everlasting pea to keep it under control, as well as the usual litter-pick.
We will be complying with current social-distancing rules by keeping to groups of no more than 6, while still keeping to 2 metres apart individually.
Importantly: please bring your own tools, particularly secateurs and gloves.
Also, here are the dates of the volunteer workdays for the rest of the year:
Saturday 8 August,
*Sunday* 6 September,
Saturday 10 October,
Saturday 7 November,
Saturday 12 December.
Look forward to seeing you next Saturday,
Kathryn, Jon, Tej, and the Narroways trustees.
Black Lives Matter statement
‘In light of the recent protests and events round the world, linked to the Black Lives Matter Movement, the trustees of Narroways want to make the following statement.
We wish to reaffirm that this beautiful and semi-wild place in Bristol’s inner city, managed by volunteers as a haven for wildlife, is a place to be enjoyed, safely and responsibly, by everyone from this area.’
Hi – thought we’d try something new. After the past few months of Covid19 restrictions there has been quite an impact on Narroways. Mostly people have been responsibly enjoying the open space and wildlife, maybe having a couple of drinks or a smoke and a chat. At times we’ve had problems – at least two violent incidents, fires in different locations and a huge gathering of up to 200 people on the warm night of Saturday 30th May.
We are going to work with Bristol City Council and Avon & Somerset Police to put in some improvements to enable Narroways to remain a good and safe place for wildlife and local people to have a breathing space. These are some of the options below.
Please go to the Facebook link below and tick any/all that you agree with.
Dear all
It’s great to see that so many people are enjoying using Narroways for some breathing space, relaxation and watching the flora and fauna of Spring tentatively emerge. The Covid-19 pandemic is creating a lot of collective anxiety but also giving birth to a renewed sense of community and mutual support, of which spending sometime up on the site with our neighbours (at an appropriate distance) plays a small part.
As we are no longer able to run volunteer days while social distancing is in place, we’d like to ask those of you that visit Narroways to consider helping out a little to keep the place in good health and encourage others to do so. There are always scraps of litter and, for those of you with stronger stomachs, bags of dog poo, to clear up, so if you feel like bringing a bag and a pair of gloves next time you come up you’d not only warm our cockles but also might inspire someone else to do the same.
We are always eager to hear peoples views about Narroways and welcome ideas for ways we can enhance the site for wildlife and people that visit. Do get in touch.
Wishing you peace and health in these unsettling times
The Narroways Trustees
it’s our volunteer workday next Saturday 10 August.
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Just to let you know that Narroways will be closed for 24 hours from 9am Saturday through to Sunday morning. This is to prevent large numbers of people causing damage to the nature reserve on Saturday night after the city farm fair as has sadly happened at times in the past. Sorry for any regular users that are inconvenienced and thanks for your understanding.
Absolutely fantastic turn out this morning and we got so much done. Thanks so much everyone! There were a dozen or so people all ages ready to help make Narroways even better for wildlife.
Six new nest boxes were put up, mostly in Guy’s Wood. They might not be occupied this year but will be homes for blue tits, coal tits and maybe wrens.
We are getting overwhelmed with bags of dog poo! Volunteers cleared OVER 300 BAGS! We ask all dog walkers to please remove filled dog poo bags and put them in the provided bins by Ashley Hill railway bridge or opposite the climbing centre on Mina Road.
Some more work was done on the hedge on Narroways Hill to open up views and strengthen the hedge and make it good for wildlife.
We had the treat of some buns from Guy’s mum, with tea and coffee after all that thirsty work.
Next volunteer day is in May.
Next volunteer days on the hill are:
Saturday 6th April and Saturday 11th May 2019. We meet at 10.30am on the hill by the bench then work for a couple of hours, weather permitting.
Come and help with conservation work on Narroways Local Nature Reserve. We keep footpaths clear, trim hedges, remove litter and tagging, and make this a special place for wildlife. It’s great for your physical and mental health too! Narroways is managed solely by volunteers, like yourself.
For more details contact narroways@netscape.net or Narroways Facebook page.
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