A BIG thank you to all those people who joined in with the Friends of Castle Green Riverbank Project Volunteer Day last Saturday. Thanks to the great coverage in last week’s Hereford Times, we had more than 30 people turn up on the day - what a huge difference a group of volunteers can make.

Even though the size of the riverbank was a bit daunting to begin with, we actually managed to open up two views of the river from the promenade along the top - what a fantastic start.

It was a beautifully sunny day - a little too hot at times and the comings and goings on the Castle Green were great. Hereford is an incredibly special place. There are not many cities in England that can boast a village atmosphere in the heart of the city, but we achieved it last Saturday.

A special mention should go to Amey Wye Valley Ltd and their fabulous staff.

They only found out about the project a couple of weeks ago, but within that time they have really stepped up to the mark in supporting their local community. Not only did they provide all of the tools, protective clothing and the trucks to take away the rubbish, but when they discovered that the 24 pairs of secateurs they had bought for us had disappeared Tom Hill, their weekend manager, went into town and bought another set. So a really big thank you to them.

Here is a picture of those people left at the end of the day and the view of the river that we opened up, taken by Adam Cove.

We are hoping this great start will boost numbers for our next volunteer day which will be on Saturday, October 18, 10am - 4.30pm. Please put the date in your diary and turn up on the Castle Green with some good strong shoes. A barbecue lunch will be provided, along with drinks throughout the day.

For more information about the project and to have your say, please visit: herefordtimes. com/video/52116/ and follow the links.

MARK HUBBARD, Chair, Friends of Castle Green, Castle Cliffe, Quay Street, Hereford.