Scouts help clean up cemetery
A SCOUT group has started work to revive part of Macclesfield cemetery.
The 24th Macclesfield Methodist Church group took action after learning about the state of the Gardens of Remembrance.
It followed a story in the Express last July where former mayor Lloyd Roberts complained that the area had become ‘ridiculously overgrown’ and ‘inaccessible’.
Beavers, cubs and scouts from the unit chose to clear up the garden as part of the Million Hands Project, a national scheme to engage scouts in improving the environment and the well being of all citizens.
Work started in April with litter sweeps, using litter pickers supplied by Cheshire East Council, scrubbing the seats so people can sit on them and cleaning memorial stones.
Their project will continue throughout the summer where they plan to clear paths, prune bushes, plant bulbs, repair bird boxes and balsam bashing.
Ann Eden, cub scout leader, said: “After seeing the article in the Express last year about the poor condition of the memorial garden at Macclesfield Cemetery, beavers, cubs and scouts chose to improve the area.”
The state of the garden was not the only problem identified by Mr Lloyd, who was a councillor for Tytherington. He said the dam at the end of the lake had collapsed into a pond of sludge and shopping trolleys had been abandoned there.
Cheshire East Council said a wall that crossed a vale and created a pond collapsed about seven years ago causing the stream that fed the pond to undermine the embankment. It is in the process of carrying out work to stabilise the embankment.