Page 5 - April 2016 Issue 302

APRIL 2016
We were all very excited to see an article about our work in the Leicester Mercury, and George and Michael, both 6, were thrilled to be asked to speak live on BBC Radio Leicester during half-term, with the piece receiving excellent reviews from listeners.
This has been an incredibly impressive project which has come about as a result of a lot of hard work by the youngsters, and has made a real difference to their own lives as well as the lives of others. But it doesn’t stop there! As we approach Summer, our Beavers will be out and about in the village on walks, playing games and learning about our local environment. We are especially looking forward to the District Sleepover in May, and a trip with Cubs to Gilwell Park London, the national Scout HQ, for an adventure packed Funday in June!
If you would like your child to be part of Beavers, please contact Jack Barber on 07811100301 to be added to our waiting list.
We can only continue if we have enough adult volunteers. If you could give up any of your time and enthusiasm to help in Beavers, Cubs or Scouts, please contact Mark Bicknell on 07803134828. Anyone over 18, happy to have a DBS Check can help, you do not need to give up time every week and you do not need to have a child involved in the group. Thank you for your support.
Jack Barber, Beaver leader
SPRING INTO A
LOVELY LAWN!
By Jon Cattell from Garden Vitality
After an uncharacteristically mild and wet winter, many lawns are looking a bit sorry for themselves and are both boggy and thinning in areas.
Thankfully there are plenty of things you can do in early spring to get your lawn back on track ahead of the Summer months.
Firstly, raking and scarifying the lawn ahead of mowing is a must. This will remove dead grass and lawn thatch which prevents drainage and stunts the growth of the grass. It also raises creeping weeds/ grasses, meaning you get a better looking lawn after your first mow for the year.
THE NEW COUNTESTHORPE HERALD 5
When mowing for the first few times it’s a good idea to use a high setting of around 4cm (11⁄2 inches). A mow every two weeks initially is an ideal frequency to ease your lawn back in gently, being mindful to avoid cutting, if it’s due to be frosty.
Aerating the lawn with a garden fork or spike aerator will also help as it lets stale carbon dioxide out of the soil, whilst also getting oxygen back in to stimulate root growth.
Finally, consider applying ferrous sulphate to the lawn. Ferrous sulphate is a water soluble solution, which provides nutrients to the existing grass, resulting in a greener, lusher look as well as combating moss build up. It’s preferable to use ferrous sulphate rather than a nitrogen based fertiliser initially, as nitrogen fertilisers look to promote new growth.
Doing these things ahead of any re-seeding and adding nitrogen based fertilizer in April/May to promote growth, will ensure you’re giving your lawn the best possible head start for a lush summer!
About Jon
A keen gardener from a young age, Jon worked as a project manager in the commercial world before following his dream and setting up Garden Vitality Landscaping & Maintenance, after moving to the village in 2015. He is passionate
about maintaining existing outside spaces alongside creating new spaces for his clients to enjoy.
WE NEED KNITTERS’ HELP TO RAISE MONEY FOR LOCAL
OLDER PEOPLE
Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland is once again calling for all knitters to join in The Big Knit this year to raise much- needed funds to help keep local older people warm and healthy this coming winter.
Thanks to our fantastic band of knitters, last year we received an incredible 47,000 little hats and need your help to match this challenging total which will assist our winter warmth campaign 2016. Innocent drinks will donate 25p for each little hat which will adorn the smoothie bottles sold in supermarkets early in 2017.
Knitters can get the simple knitting patterns online at www.ageuk.org.uk/leics or by calling the Business Development Manager on 2237344.
Hats can be dropped off at any of our shops or Resource Centres (or sent direct) in time to be at Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland, Lansdowne House, 113 Princess Road East, Leicester, LE1 7LA by the end of October.