Newmarket’s Community Orchard on the Yellow Brick Road has received some loving care and attention from a 30-strong team of community spirited Jockey Club volunteers this Valentine’s Day.
The team from Newmarket Racecourses, Jockey Club Estates, The National Stud and Racing Welfare set about the task of pruning back the area which had become overgrown and aggressively strangled with brambles. This has been preventing the area from realising its potential as a beautiful space for the community whilst providing a suitable habitat for wildlife to flourish.
Led by ecology and conservation experts from The Jockey Club Estates team, the initial hard work and caring hands of the volunteers will help the area grow into a sustainable, attractive, and manageable haven for biodiversity this Spring and in the future.
Now the foundation work has been completed, the team plan to improve the area further by introducing bug hotels and bird boxes, making the orchard suitable for schools and children to learn about nature through the curriculum or through The Jockey Club’s community outreach teams.
Margo Walsh, Operations Manager for The Jockey Club and organiser of the volunteer event, said: “The Yellow Brick Road is such a special and valuable asset to the town that just needs some love and attention to realise its full potential.
“The team at The Jockey Club are all local people and passionate about making the project a success and seeing the area thrive, as well as having particular expertise in this sort of work through our day-to-day roles.
“This was just one of many events we hope to support on the wider Yellow Brick Road project, and we look forward to seeing the area blossom into something beautiful this Spring.”
The Yellow Brick Road rejuvenation project was launched last summer as The Jockey Club joined forces with Newmarket Town Council, West Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council and a number of other local organisations including the Newmarket Community Partnership, the Racing Centre, Newmarket Open Door, Discover Newmarket and the Henry Cecil Open weekend to work on the area, which links the centre of Newmarket with Studlands Park.
To support or find out more about some of the work being done on the Yellow Brick Road project, please visit: jockeyclubestates.co.uk/community.
