Friends of Gorse Hall Volunteering Page

06/06/2026

This week and for the next couple of weeks the volunteers have been and will be busy trying to eradicate, or at least halt the spread of the invasive japanese knotw**d which covers at least half of the orchard area. In previous years, local schools have helped with this task but because of the current very strict health and safety regulations they are no longer able to do this.
The knotw**d can grow to as much as 8 feet in height. Each year it has to be pulled up in an attempt to stop further spread. It is then left in an appropriate place, in piles, ready to be burnt in the autumn.
In an attempt rediscover the history of the orchard, work being done on it this week by contractors, using the money that was given by Tameside MBC for this specific purpose. The ground has to be cleared which involves a lot work trying to get rid of the japanese knotw**d - would YOU be able to spare a couple of hours on either a Tuesday or Thursday morning to help. It doesn't need to be a regular commitment and any help would be very much appreciated.
These are a few pictures of the various stages of trying to get rid of this very invasive plant. - By the way if you lived in Japan or China you would be cooking this as a vegetable!

28/05/2026

The volunteers also make good use of the wood from the trees which have either fallen down or been chopped down. The wood is chopped into manageable pieces suitable for domestic wood burners.
If anyone would like to purchase any of the wood they can do so by contacting Alan on 07790 006345. Here is a picture of what you can purchase for £40. The wood will be delivered to your door. The money from the sale of the wood goes towards the annual insurance premium for the site to ensure that both the volunteers and the public are fully covered.

28/05/2026

Last week our volunteers had a repair the safety rail on the steps behind Gorse Hall school. Here are some pictures of the work carried out.
Is this something you could help with. The volunteers meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 9.30am outside green cabin
If these times don't suit you - speak to Alan on 07790 006345 to make alternative arrangements.

28/05/2026

More pictures showing our team of volunteers at work - and the wild garlic - help yourselves

28/05/2026

Last week the team of volunteer had to carry out more safety work on the pond drain that had washed away a deep gully at the side of the dipping platform. They had to install a large pipe (the trench they dug is shown in the pictures, which then had to be covered, levelled and made safe. The finished job on the drain is also shown. A lot of time was spent on this task and the volunteers worked tirelessly until it was finished, ensuring all was safe for the benefit of the community.
If you feel you could spare a few hours to help the team, please contact Alan on 07790 006345

The wild garlic leaves on the site are now ready for picking. You are welcome to gather some - enjoy it on your summer salads and it's FREE

22/05/2026

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17/05/2026

Our volunteers never stop-and no matter what hurdles they come across - they never give up‼️
If you've walked around the Gorse Hall site recently you will have spotted a "memorial seat" in the making. This is being constructed by our volunteers, using a very generous donation from the family of a loved one who passed away but who loved to wander over the Gorse Hall site during his lifetime.
Sadly some of the stones and cobbles used to secure the seat have been "removed" and our volunteers thinking they may have been removed by youngsters' high jinks, and they had maybe thrown them into the pond. Sadly this is not case and the stones and cobbles are still missing.
This has lead to our few trusty volunteers spending the last couple of weeks clearing out the pond and here a few photos of them doing just that.
Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication to preserving this beautiful site for the benefit of us all.

30/04/2026

https://gorse-hall.co.uk/things-to-do/
Did you know that there is a Nature Walk on the Gorse Hall estate? You will also find other things to do at the link above.

11/04/2026

These are the pictures from the previous post. The team of volunteers have worked on the site of the original stables, clearing the moss exposing the foundations and original base 👍👍

11/04/2026

Here are some more pictures of the work our great team of volunteers did last Thursday (when the weather was glorious). They worked so hard clearing the moss from the old stables. Normal w**d killer didn't touch it so they had to literally clear it by hand and a lot of hard graft. The pictures show the site before it was cleared and after it was cleared. We really would welcome more volunteers. The team meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9.30am at the green cabin. Please join them if you can spare a few hours