A spinney is defined as a small stand of trees, a copse, a little wood or a thorny thicket. We chatted with Belinda Faulkes, Nextdoor Nature’s community manager, and the group fighting to keep and develop Camborne’s spinney for both people and nature.

Belinda

The Spinney is a sweet green space in the centre of Camborne, just backing onto the churchyard of St Martin and St Meriadoc Church. Originally part of the CountrySide agency’s Door Step Green initiative, since 2004 it has been managed as a registered charity by a small committee of volunteers. 

At the beginning of the Nextdoor Nature project, I started connecting with the local Camborne community, getting to know them, whilst listening to their thoughts, needs and ideas for nature in Camborne. The Spinney kept on coming up. When I finally visited, I was pleasantly surprised at its peaceful and green demeanor, which offers respite and breathing space for both people and wildlife in the centre of Camborne. It’s used by many locals as a green and tranquil route into town, and contains many mature trees and lush vegetation. Passing through it gives a few minutes respite from the town’s busy main roads.

I learned how the Spinney had faced many challenges over the years, particularly around antisocial behaviour, homeless campers and littering.  

I began working with everyone involved, to see how both the governing charity and the space could be developed to its full potential, for local people as well as local wildlife. Our work together has involved discussions and advice on a range of topics, monthly tidy ups and funding a community litter picking kit. We are also making plans for the future, discussing funding opportunities and how to develop the site for wildlife.

Over the months I have been so impressed at the tenacity, creativity and dedication of the Spinney volunteers, board and committee members. They have been on quite a journey, but things are looking positive, and the future of the Spinney is looking up. I look forward to supporting their next steps in creating a beautiful resting place for both people and nature!

Colin

I was one of the original founders of the Spinney Action Group, and have been involved for twenty years. It could be a lovely spot for the public and wildlife to use in the centre of town. We’re losing so much green space nowadays that it would be nice to keep it as an open space for wildlife and people to enjoy.

I’ve always been interested in wildlife and the environment. The challenge is getting people interested in keeping it as a wildlife area, and getting people to help out.

I’ve been volunteering for the last twenty years and it’s surprising how many people actually use the space and how many passers-by appreciate the work we do. We’ve all got our own ideas about how to develop the space. It’s great to have Belinda’s expertise on hand, to help us work out what’s feasible.

Phillip

The Spinney is a ‘stepping stone’ site between the woods on both sides of it. I got involved in the project because I was really keen to get biodiversity surveys done on the site, and I was also interested in the cultural and historic side of it. I’d like it to be a place where people can come and relax, feel safe, enjoy the wildlife and learn about the Cornish heritage associated with it. If you have an appreciation of history and how things developed, you can start to build towards the future.

The Spinney is so different throughout the seasons. In spring you get a very fast growth of spring flowers; we have bluebells and some wood anemones in there and things like wild strawberries. Then of course you get quite a lot of leaf foliage in the summer which keeps it cool for people to enjoy, and in the autumn it’s filled with colours.

Ann

I have been involved with the Spinney since August last year. I live just down the road and have been walking through for years. I just care about the feel of the place and want more people to enjoy it.

The space has deteriorated over the last few years and we want to regenerate it, with a balance to strike between encouraging wildlife and making it a better space for people to use.

Belinda’s role has been paramount in supporting and assisting the charity in driving this work forward, with the ultimate goal of improved governance and management of this beautiful space so that it can once again survive.

We’re just about to go into a period of mapping and surveying, and working out what projects we want to apply for funding for. We are starting to get more people involved. People that we meet have started to come and help and they’ve enjoyed it and kept coming. It’s a community event in itself; we sit down and have a cup of tea, we talk to people going through, and we try and make it look nicer. We can always do with more volunteers. It is a public space – it’s not ours, it’s everybody’s.