Leighton Linslade In Bloom 2015 South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth entered two of their sites for Special Awards and also created a bee friendly / wildlife friendly garden with LB First in the Town centre. In total they were responsible with the support of LLTC for 3 of the sites that the judges visited and organised the involvement and presence of two lower schools and one preschool. The War Memorial Garden entered for a special award to commemorate World War 2 Mentmore Preschool have helped grow vegetables all year in the garden. and South Beds FoE gave a presentation and talk to the children about bees. South Beds FoE have held many workdays in 2015 that were attended by between 2 and 5 volunteers. A picture of the poppies and Oxeyes daisies taken by a local photographer was the photo of the week in the Leighton Buzzard Observer. the project is led by Joanna Mee of South Beds FoE who lives close by and two other residents living close by have helped to water. Other residents of Linslade have helped with the weeding. The town council has received letters of support from residents who appreciate the garden. A local artist Ros Castling went into Heathwood school and with the pupils made felt poppies out of wool while talking about the meaning of Armistice day. Heathwood school were present and preformed the be dance for the judges and showed them their poppies which will be planted in the garden for Armistice Day.

Volunteers and Mentmore Preschool on judging day with the poppies made by Heathwood Lower School The Garden in June

Heathwood with bees and poppies and doing the Bee “Waggle Dance” With the local Buzzer Bus who donated their time and vehicle.

Clipstone Brook in Parsons Close Background After a couple of years of clearing rubbish in the brook SBFOE worked with the volunteers at the launch of Anglia in Bloom to clear nettles and plant wildflowers In 2012 and They have continued to work on the area as some of their members live very close since then removing nettles and caring for and increasing the wildflowers. Working in the main park by the Path SBFOE spend a lot of time explaining the reasons fro the wildflowers and bees and have a good relationship with the NEETS who hang around there as well as regular users and get many compliments for their work from regular users of the Park The Trinty Cubs have worked with them SBFOE gave a presentation on bees to Pulfords School to the five year olds. They have previously given presentations on bees at assembly and organised with the teachers a competition for the best design of a wildlife friendly garden for which the MP Andrew Selous donated the prizes and was treated to a presentation on bees designed and preformed By the children. They then did a survey with the five year olds of the wildflowers and bees by the brook in May and the children did drawings and an exhibition of the wildflowers.

Talking about bees to Pulfords Lower school in April2015 We explained about bumble bees and solitary bees and food pollination to the Five year olds.

making hats with leaves of the different trees learning about insects and honey wax Four members of South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth took the five years olds from Pulfords Lower school to the adjacent Parsons Close to do a survey on bees and insects

Looking for bees and flowers with survey sheets

Clipstone Brook in May/ June

Pulfords School with their Exhibition of their work on bees with SBFOE on the judging day

A Touch of Class, bee friendly wildlife friendly formal garden with LB First in the Town Centre. LB First approached LL in Bloom as they wanted to include local town centre businesses in the LL in Bloom in a practical manner. Gennaro Borrelli is chair of LB First which is a very effective organisation of local retailers and local residents who support the town centre, and he also owns A Touch of Class. LL in Bloom put him in touch with SBFOE who worked with him to create a bee friendly, wildlife friendly, pesticide and peat free, attractive town centre garden. This will a now lso be used with schools etc as education on wildlife friendly gardens The garden area in April 2015

Bee hotel made and donated by a customer Logs donated by the Greensand Trust Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard Market Traders Federation Branch Donated flowers. Selections; part of LB First donated tools, tubs and plants. Customers donated plants; A touch of Class paid for the bulk of the plants;

Pulfords School close by designed And made the display