Help from local charity For many years, Harrington has put on its best show in the bleakest of months by hosting a snowdrop walk on the weekend before Valentine’s Day – and it is beautiful enough to make your heart sing.
However, the autumn of 2015 was tough for the snowdrop bulbs at Harrington. The snowdrop beds that provide the first indications of spring in February were under assault by large power diggers for the furtherance of technology. The electricity supply company needing to reinforce the power supplies, enthusiastically dug a wide trench through the grass verges in the centre of the village for a new high voltage cable.
Having just recovered from this work, it was the turn of the fibre optic cable company to repeat the exercise, albeit with a smaller trench but over a wider area.
On the positive side, the village is grateful to finally have a better power supply and superfast broadband. However, the existing snowdrops for which Harrington is well known have suffered and need some care and recuperation. Help was at hand from Kettering Borough Council Grant Aid, who funded the purchase and planting of 4,000 snowdrop bulbs.
All 4,000 bulbs have been planted by Teamwork Trust members, a charity with centres in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough which is committed to ensuring everyone gets access to the same chances, choices and opportunities - whatever their individual needs or abilities. The charity’s members are adults with mental health needs, learning and physical disabilities who choose from a programme of enabling and education projects, activities and counselling programmes.
Snowdrop images by J A Thorpe on Flickr Teamwork members worked hard throughout November in the late autumn warm spell. It was a great opportunity to develop their horticulture and employability skills at the same time. Teamwork is grateful to Harrington Parish Council for this work opportunity and to all the villagers who came to talk to their members while they were planting the bulbs.
The Teamwork Trust members are all looking forward to joining the rest of the community at the Harrington Snowdrop Country Walk on Sunday 12th February from 1pm to 4 pm. The walk takes in many historic features of the local landscape including the site of the Falls, a scheduled ancient monument, Church Walk through to the 13th century church and sweeping views of the countryside over towards the airfield and Carpetbaggers Museum. Access to the Falls is by kind permission of the Warner Family whose Falls Farm today houses the Warner Edwards Gin Distillery.
For anyone wanting to find out more about the Teamwork Trust, please visit www.teamworktrust.co.uk
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