A recent development for the Otley in Bloom group is the creation of the Otley in Bloom Task Force. It was recognised that certain areas of the town needed attention throughout the year therefore the Task Force was set up comprising of Otley in Bloom members who wanted to be more "hands on". It's a simple matter of Civic Pride to improve the appearance of the Town we live in. The Otley in Bloom Task Force does jobs such as planting, digging & weeding and also larger clear-up jobs throughout the town. Otley in Bloom recently applied for and was successful in getting £500 of funding to supply the necessary equipment such as tools and protective clothing.    If you'd like to join the Task Force and lend a hand please contact our Task Force co-ordinator. Willow Tree Tidy Up - Spring 2007 The Task Force saw that the area of ground near the willow tree at the bottom of Bridge Street had got into quite an untidy state. So ten members and friends met one Sunday morning and did a big clean up. We had our Otley in Bloom banner up so that passers by could see who was taking the time to improve the looks of the town. Lots of dead fallen branches were moved away, the rubbish and litter was picked up, the overgrown plants were cut down and we even chased Yorkshire Water to come out and sort out the blocked drain. If you know of an area which needs a good tidy up --- just get some of your neighbours involved and Otley in Bloom will be delighted to bring our expertise and give you a hand on your clear up day. Before the tidy up After the tidy up Ellar Ghyll Clean up - Autumn 2007 Clear up and replanting of a large, eighty square metres piece of land near the Ellar Ghyll Recycling site at the west side of Otley. The work was done in late Autumn, 2007 and involved twelve of our members. This Taskforce project was one of the bigger ones we’ve tackled because the land was very overgrown before we started and needed to be completely dug over before we could start planting. We believe this work has made a significant difference to the appearance of this very visible green space on one of the important corridor routes into the Town. It will be the site for one of the Gateway Structures as proposed in the Otley Town Enhancement Study document. During the tidy up After the tidy up Our Allotment Members of Otley in Bloom have their own personal enthusiasms for gardening and growing vegetables. Two years ago members were allocated a derelict site and are beginning to transform this into a workable patch. The results of our hard work were noticed in 2005 and we were awarded the 'Most Improved Allotment' certificate by Otley Town Council. A small area of this allotment has been allocated to Otley in Bloom. The group has cleared this area and laid down plastic and shingle to suppress weeds. Plants and planters are stored here and being in close proximity to a member's home means the site is well looked after and plants are watered and cared for as appropriate. Plans for this area include creating a cold frame. We use the allotment to grow flowers which are then transplanted to the hanging baskets and barrier planters around Otley. Shown in the photo above are some of the Otley in Bloom team right at the start of the clearing up and ground digging. If you'd like to be part of the Task Force which manages the allotment please contact us... Otley in Bloom - working with the business community and the people of Otley to make our town a greener place to live. Home | About the Group | Awards | Sponsors | Grants | Yorkshire in Bloom Calendar | Current Projects | Task Force | Constitution | Notices | Downloads Otley Town Enhancement Study | Gallery | Meeting minutes | Links | Contact