A huge thank you to everyone who helped with this year’s Christmas Tree Project
We really appreciate that you give your time to make this project such a success
Windy conditions made the task harder on day one, but thankfully the winds dropped and the weather improved
With a record number of 250+ volunteers around 2000 trees were planted
St Anne’s In Bloom supports the Dunes Preservation Project which is designed to protect our sea defences and help to create new dunes for flora and fauna.
This year, we didn’t collect the Christmas trees from householders because Trinity Hospice took over that role., Volunteers are still needed to help with the planting of the trees in the dunes.
If you can help out then please come to the beach via the North Beach Car Park any time from 10am onwards on 29th – 31st January. There will be a gazebo on the beach to meet up in. Everyone will finish at 3pm but if you can only give an hour’s work then that’s fine.
If you use the North Beach Car Park to park, you can usually obtain a pass from FBC staff for free parking.
Tools are provided and some of the work can be planting grasses or weaving tree fronds which is light work. FBC usually use heavy machinery to create planting holes and the volunteers are needed to use the spades to infill and secure the trees. Hi-vis jackets are provided but if you have one already then please wear it.
Waterproof gloves are also provided as are refreshments. Last year about 30 volunteers attended each day. It tends to be quite jolly and a good way to burn off the calories devoured at Christmas!
More information can be found by clicking this link.
https://www.livingseasnw.org.uk/…/2019-01-29-annual-christm…
There is a change to our usual Christmas Tree Collection this year
Trinity Hospice /Brian House are expanding their area into St Annes and taking on the collection of Christmas Trees in return for receiving donations to their fund-raising appeals. Their volunteers have been collecting in Blackpool for several years and now they are extending their service to include the FY8 postcode area.
St Anne’s In Bloom, who normally collect discarded trees in the town for free, have decided to support the hospice collection scheme and not continue with their normal pick-up arrangements this year.
Fylde Council have promoted the Trinity Hospice scheme on their refuse collection arrangement materials this year and In Bloom are happy to support this initiative and not appear to be in competition.
The trees will be collected and used for the Dunes conservation programme and the bonus this year will be that Trinity Hospice and Brian House benefit from donations.
In Bloom volunteers who normally use their cars, vans and trailers to collect trees from around St Anne’s will be offering their services to the Trinity Hospice scheme instead.
Although some of our regulars might be disappointed that we won’t be collecting their trees this year, I’m sure they will recognise that Trinity Hospice is a valuable and much-loved Charity and we wouldn’t want to compete with them. They provide a vital service to the whole of the Fylde and the discarded trees will still be used by Fylde Borough Council and the Sand Dunes Project to stabilise and protect the dunes.
Fylde Borough Council drop off points for trees will be available as usual for anyone wanting to drop off their own trees. Details of locations will be published nearer the time.
Residents can volunteer as tree collectors and the more the merrier to make this a bumper year for the number of trees collected and for the amount raised.
For information about how to book a collection or how to volunteer to help please contact:
www.trinityhospice.co.uk/tree-collection
01253 359362
Our AGM was held this week and there have been some changes to our committee.
Sadly Pam Curtis is stepping down after being one of the longest serving members.
We will miss her tremendously and want to thank her for all her hard work and contribution to our plans over the years.
We are very pleased to welcome three new members to our committee – Kevin Allingham, Christine Holland and Miles Couchman.
We look forward to getting to know them and working with them in future
This brings our number to ten which I think this is the largest we have been since we started in 2012
On Wednesday our cheerful volunteers finished off planting up the tubs for shops and
businesses with pansies, Bellis perennis (winter flowering daisy) and
bulbs. This display will hopefully provide a bit of colour throughout the
winter.
We were back out on Friday and finished planting daffodil bulbs on King Edwards Avenue which had been started with the children of AKS Junior School.
Very kind neighbours gave us encouragement and the use of a much needed facility!
Lovely when residents show an interest and provide practical help.
The volunteers then moved on to the Inner Prom by the car park at Fairhaven Lake and planted crocuses and Paperwhite daffodils under the trees.
Finally run out of bulbs. Hooray!!!
Here is the full list of winners in the Colourful Welcome Awards 2018
Thank you all again for your participation and we look forward to seeing your displays next year
Hotels:
1st place Howarth House;
2nd place The Hollingworth;
Joint 3rd place Bedford Hotel and Glendower Hotel.
Restaurant and Café :
Joint 1st place Pier Café and Wigglesworth;
2nd place Vanilla;
3rd place Greek Flame Taverna.
With ‘Outstanding Display’ to Alice’s Tea Rooms
Public House:
1st place St Anne’s Cricket Club;
2nd Trawl Boat Inn;
3rd place Victoria Hotel.
With ‘Outstanding Display’ to Links Public House
Outstanding Display for local non hospitality businesses awarded to
Pipan At Home,
Croppers the Barbers,
RL Whitehead and Daughter Funeral Directors,
D R Designs,
St Anne’s Chippy
Pre-Loved Sofas
St Anne’s Music Shop

Our recent Thank You do gave us the opportunity to present awards to the winners of our Colourful Welcome Awards
Some of the businesses who won awards were unable to attend on the evening so Monica has been busy out and about around town distributing certificates
These awards are a way of showing appreciation to local businesses and supporters who help to keep the town looking cheerful and welcoming
Their efforts are much appreciated by both residents and visitors
Vanilla Cafe
The Fairmile B & B
St Annes Chippy
Greek Flame Taverna
Here in no particular order are some photographs of the entries to enjoy
