The Community Involvement Team in Huddersfield is involved in a wide range of activities to meet the aims of helping disadvantaged groups, young people and improving the environment.

One of the most popular projects to improve the environment in Huddersfield is helping to develop the Kirklees ‘Greenway’ system. East of Huddersfield, an old railway line, which has also been used as a landfill site, has been turned into a path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders to travel between Huddersfield and Dewsbury without having to mix with traffic fumes and noise. It is also very popular with many of our employees who regularly use the paths themselves. The idea is that the area around the path also becomes a better habitat for plants and animals thus creating important natural ‘corridors’ for the local wildlife.

When we heard about this scheme, run by Kirklees Council and a local group called the Environmental Alliance, we asked if we could ‘adopt’ a section of the Greenway and become responsible for its maintenance and improvement.

That was in late 2007; since then, we have had six sessions where a total of over 50 employees and their families have cut down unwanted trees (known as ‘thinning’), planted others, put up bat and bird boxes and created glades for wild flowers and butterflies. Due to the success of the project, we have taken on an extra kilometre of path and will now develop a management plan to keep the work going for as long as it is needed.

Mike Dolton; Air Handling Manager, one of the Greenway project leaders commented, “The sessions all take place on a Saturday morning and over the last year, amongst other things we have learnt how to create better habitats, identify different trees and safely use a bow saw! The most recent session on Saturday 9 May included planting bilberry bushes and controlling the spread of Ash trees along various sections. Feedback from participants and the organisers has been good; they particularly seem to enjoy the coffee and cakes provided for a well earned morning break!”

For further information contact:
Alison Smith, Central Marketing Services
Tel: 01484 422244, Fax: 01484 452623.
E-mail: alison.j.smith@cummins.com