Kirkstall: Historic monument grounds seek friendship*

0
1196
abbey house garden-2
Photo: Mindy Goose

A public meeting later this month is set to officially set up a Friends of Kirkstall Abbey group. Kirkstall resident Jim Corah has the details:

Following on from the successful gathering in January to discuss how Leeds City Council can collaborate with the community to look after Kirkstall Abbey grounds, Cllr Fiona Venner has organised a meeting to set up a Friends of Kirkstall Abbey group.

kirkstall abbey tower
The top of Kirkstall Abbey pokes out from behind the trees. Photo: MARK STEVENSON

During the meeting in January, an officer from Leeds City Council suggested that such a group would help plan and direct the work LCC staff could do to improve and care for Kirkstall Abbey Grounds.

While there will be volunteering opportunities to get involved with the Grounds’s mud and soil and flowers and trees, it is likely the Council will be able to do more work frequently.

Cllr Venner has arranged the first meeting of the Friends of Kirkstall Abbey for 7pm on Tuesday 26th March 2019 at Kirkstall Leisure Centre.

One of the suggestions that came out of the meeting was restoring the bandstand in the grounds. This would allow for Kirkstall Abbey to be included in the summer brass band concerts. Another intention would be to tend the medicinal garden behind the Abbey House Museum.

While there is much interest in looking after Kirkstall Abbey Grounds in the neighbouring community, establishing a Friends of Kirkstall Abbey group may attract members from across Leeds and West Yorkshire. The Abbey has a special place in many people’s hearts.

*Good sense of humour and desire to improve the community essential.

____________________

While you’re here…

Producing your daily dose of West Leeds Dispatch comes at a cost!

There’s the hosting of the website you’re reading now, running our popular e-mail newsletter, membership of independent press regulator Impress, attending summer events, paying for equipment etc etc.

We need at least £200 a month just to break even – that’s money currently coming out of the pockets of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about what’s happening in our communities, connecting you with local groups and organisations as well as holding decision-makers to account and championing local issues.

And all that’s BEFORE we even think about paying something for people’s time – for instance, our editor puts in more than 24 hours a week in his ‘spare’ time to ensure The Dispatch publishes daily.

To put it bluntly, after nearly four years of daily publishing, we are not sustainable!

And we need YOUR help to continue …

For the cost of less than a couple of cups of coffee you can help support local community news and continue to give our communities a voice by taking out a subscription for just £4 per month (that’s just a pound a week).

As a thanks you’ll get your name on a roll of honour on our website. More importantly you will be enabling us to keep bringing you the news that matters about your neighbourhood.

Achieving a bedrock of supporters will give us a firm financial footing and help us plan for the future.

Supporting us couldn’t be easier…

Just follow this link.

Over to you …



LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.