Report from Stow Recreation Fund
The trustees of the Stow Recreation Fund (Andrew Fenn, Doug Garner, Nigel Gray, Charles Hewitt, John Martinson and myself Clare Ella) have worked very hard in the last 12 months to bring a number of projects to fruition.
The community defibrillator was purchased through the WLDC supported scheme and installed on the wall at the Cross Keys just before the first lockdown in 2020. The Wallis family has very kindly offered to ‘host’ the defibrillator and pay the costs of the electricity supply as a donation to the village. We are still awaiting the training session that was part of the package, but was of course postponed due to COVID restrictions.
Two flashing speed warning signs were erected in late spring and a third one has now been purchased to provide a speed deterrent at 3 out of the 4 road entrances to the village, in rotation where appropriate.
An electronic winding mechanism has been installed for the village clock in the church tower, along with an automatic regulator, meaning that it now runs to time without anyone having to go up & down the tower steps to wind it every week. Many thanks to Stow PCC for their assistance with this project.
A wheelchair accessible picnic bench and a bench seat (both made from recycled materials and sourced locally) have been provided. The picnic bench is in the playpark and the, already much used and appreciated, seat, is at the north end of Green Lane. Thanks to the residents who have volunteered to clean them on a regular basis.
The accessibility of the playpark to all will hopefully be enhanced by the Parish Council sourcing an accessible piece of play equipment, that the Fund is making a donation of £5,000 towards.
The design, manufacture and siting of decorative village signs is proving the most time-consuming and complicated of the projects, not helped by the failure of the Lincs Highways department to pro-actively engage with us. We have just received Highways approval of the locations for the signs and of the proposed design in principle, and the trustees are meeting this Friday to finalise the designs.