Year Round Activity and Future Commitment
A team of volunteers from the Countryside Team have been helping staff at the Old Shrewsbury Canal (OSC) with some scrub removal. This is an important habitat for Great Crested Newts, a European protected species, which use the remnant pools of the previously navigable canal for breeding and laying their eggs. Removing the overgrown scrub is important to prevent the shallow pools from filling up with leaf litter and drying out.
Shrewsbury Food Hub’s vision is a community where food is valued and not wasted. It is a volunteer-powered charity that redistributes surplus food and promotes food waste reduction for environmental and social good. Globally, a third of all food produced is thrown away and Shrewsbury is no different. Last year it saved 217 tonnes of food going to waste – enough for 518,000 meals and saving CO2 equivalent to not driving 87 times around the world.
Shrewsbury Town Council’s Countryside Team has a regular volunteer group, which is made up of people who enjoy being outdoors, including retired people, adults with learning disabilities and young people seeking experience in ensuring the continued maintenance of the outdoor spaces.
The Quarry hosted 54 individual events in the park itself. The type of events being held remained very broad, ranging from the large two-day festivals down to small charity fundraisers. A further 17 music events took place in the Victorian bandstand as part of The Summer of Music programme.
Every autumn, the communities around the town work together to plant bulbs at a number of locations around Shrewsbury. The Town Council has provided local schools and allotment associations with bulbs to enhance their areas in the spring. Over 34,000 spring bulbs, including daffodils and miniature narcissus, tulips, snowdrops, bluebells, crocus and hyacinths were planted last year, with more than 3,000 bulbs planted by community groups and schools.
Shrewsbury Town Council held a Climate Change competition as a way to engage with younger members of the town about their views on the climate crisis and what should be done to address it. This competition was publicised to all schools and youth groups across the town. A pupil from Radbrook Primary School won the 5 – 8 years category and a pupil from St Winefride's School won the 9 – 12 years category.
Martyn’s Law is a focus for events in the park and public spaces. The Town Council has always pressed the need to follow the principles of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and annual desktop exercises have taken place with the large event organisers to ensure they are prepared. Terrorism Management Plans include the use of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Barriers, beneficial in two ways - preventing an incident and giving a community message that events are safe.
