On Saturday 17th September between 12pm-4pm, we are holding a community event to bring Beaulieu together at our Community Gardens to the east of Beaulieu.  We have a number of local community groups attending with information as well as activities but we mainly would like to get your ideas on what you would like to see from the Community Gardens in the future.

We are collecting ideas on what residents want to see from this space whether it is building a wildlife hotel, a space to learn how to grow your own veg or a place to just explore using your senses.

We will also have a number of free activities that residents can take part in.  Over the coming weeks, we will let you know all about the groups in attendance and what activities you can expect.

We hope to see you all there!

If you do have any questions about the Community Gardens, please email us at Beaulieu@thelandtrust.org.uk

Be part of the UK wide survey to assess the health of the environment we live in by counting the Butterflies and day flying moths living in your back garden or one of the local parks. Last year over 107,000 people took part in the survey submitting 152,039 counts.

To take part you just need to count what butterflies you can see over a 15-minute period, ideally when its sunny anytime between 15th July to the 7th August.  If you are counting from a fixed position, you count the maximum number of each species you can see at one time. If you are on a walk, simply total up the number of each butterfly species that you see within the 15 minutes.

We will have a small stand in the southern half of the Community Gardens on Wednesday 27th between 1pm and 3pm handing out ID sheets and doing our best to assist with any ID queries you may have.  The Beaulieu Community Centre will also be providing some print out ID charts if you want to pick one up from there when they are open.

For further information and how to submit your results, visit Big Butterfly Count.

As mentioned at the last residents meeting, we are keen to find more ways to connect with residents and give them the opportunity to engage with Beaulieu Estate Management.  Although you can always call our team or drop an email, Martin Payne, our Community Engagement Officer will now start running resident surgeries from the Cabin in The Community Gardens.  We had planned to run the first session tomorrow but due to the weather conditions, we have postponed to next week on Wednesday 27th July from 10am-12pm.  The next session will be on Tuesday 6th September from 10am-12pm with the idea to run these sessions on the first Tuesday of every other month. If there are any changes nearer the time, we will let residents know.   We will continue to review the demand for such sessions and we are happy to provide sessions more frequently or late afternoon early evening.  

If you have any questions about these drop-in surgeries, please email us at Beaulieu@thelandtrust.org.uk

The Chelmsford Marathon and Marathon Half, sponsored by Beaulieu, Countryside and L&Q’s vibrant new residential development in Chelmsford, will return for its eighth year in October in aid of Havens Hospices.

The event will return to the city on Sunday 16th October 2022 with runners pounding the pavements from the start line at Shire Hall, through the surrounding countryside and pretty villages of Essex and then across the finish line in Central Park. The Half Marathon route will return for those runners wanting to race a shorter distance.

This year’s event will be organised by race management company Nice Work, but the event is still raising vital funds for Havens Hospices, an Essex wide charity that provides palliative nursing care to children and young people living with complex or incurable conditions, plus offers support for their families. 

Jane Hopkins, Community Engagement Manger at Havens Hospices is looking forward to this year’s event as the charity continues to recover from the financial effects of the pandemic.

She said, “We are really looking forward to the Chelmsford Marathon so we can raise vital funds for our hospice care across Essex. We must raise more than £85,000 each week to be there for everyone who needs us.

“This is one of the biggest events in the Essex race calendar and we hope to attract more than a thousand runners lining up in Chelmsford High Street to either achieve their first half or full marathon, personal best, or run in memory of a loved one. For those who may have missed out on a place at this year’s London Marathon, this might be the perfect alternative for you.

“If you think you have got what it takes, why not register today? Every mile will be truly ‘Making every day count’ for every child, young person and family we care for across Essex.”

Havens Hospices is thrilled to have Beaulieu Chelmsford back on board to sponsor this year’s event. Like last year, it is hoped that staff members and residents from Beaulieu will be running on the day in support of the charity.

Martin Leach, Managing Director, Strategic Land and Major Projects, Countryside said:

“It is a pleasure to be able to continue to sponsor the Chelmsford Marathon and Marathon Half for the third year, in support of Havens Hospices.  The Chelmsford Marathon is a popular event attracting runners from all over the country. It brings the community together helping to raise vital funds and much-needed support for our local Havens Hospices which include Fair Havens and Little Havens.

“We understand what a valuable support and care system the hospice staff and volunteers provide to young people and their families across Essex. I would encourage everyone to get involved in whatever way they can.  Come along and support the runners along the route or perhaps volunteer to help on the day”.

Adam Simpson, Director of Project Management and Development, L&Q adds:

“We’re proud sponsors of the Chelmsford Marathon and Marathon Half, a fantastic day out in aid of Havens Hospices – a charity which does invaluable work across Essex and needs your support. Whether you’re joining in, supporting the runners, or volunteering, it’s a brilliant day for the whole community – so please come down and get involved.”

Online registration is now open for the Chelmsford Marathon and the Chelmsford Marathon Half. To sign up please visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/chelmsfordmarathon

To find out more about Havens Hospices and how they are ‘Making every day count’ for those living with complex and incurable conditions across Essex, visit www.havenshospices.org.uk 

In conversation with…Alan Headworth, Chair of Chelmsford’s Heart & Sole Wellbeing Walks

Over the past two years, we have seen an increased focus on the importance of our physical health and mental wellbeing, which is why we are proud to announce that Beaulieu is sponsoring Heart & Sole Wellbeing Walks – a self-funded scheme that provides 18 different wellbeing walks across Chelmsford. To mark National Walking Month, we caught up with Alan Headworth, Chair of Chelmsford’s Heart & Sole Wellbeing Walks, to find out more about the organisation and the role it plays in the local community.

How long have you lived in Chelmsford?

I have lived here for 35 years – I live in Springfield which is about five minutes from Beaulieu.

How did you first get involved with Heart & Sole?

I’ve now been involved with the organisation for four years. Initially I was looking to do some volunteer work as I had just finished a role at the local primary school. I saw the council had advertised a volunteering role at Heart & Sole Wellbeing Walks and thought I’d look into it further. I initially trained to be a walk leader, and after finding out they were looking for a Chair, I volunteered and here I am.

What do you enjoy about walking?

For me, I love meeting the different people who join our walks. Walking is a very sociable activity and I really enjoy the range of conversations that we have. Because the walks are all about wellbeing, it’s great to see so many different people from our community brought together through a love for walking.

What role does Heart & Sole play in the local community?

We are a very welcoming group and we see around 150 to 160 walkers attend our walks each week across Chelmsford. We often have members who join on their own, and I think it gives them confidence and creates a sense of belonging when they are part of a group like ours. For example, we have one gentleman whose daughter suggested he tried our walks after his wife sadly passed away. He was so quiet when we first met him and now he comes every week and is a very active conversationalist!

What made you decide to include a walk around Beaulieu?

Beaulieu is very close to where I live and the location works really well for us. It offers everything we need – from the good bus routes and great facilities on-site, to the real community feel of the development. Beaulieu is our biggest walk of the week. It takes place on a Friday morning and, on a good day, we will have 40 to 50 people joining us. Some come in via the bus from outside the area and some are residents. It’s perfect because after the walk, walkers can have a coffee at Coffee Squared before heading home.

Why do you think the Beaulieu walk is so popular?

There’s a lot of history around Beaulieu and we incorporate that into our walks. We teach our walkers about the deer park, the kiln, the history behind New Hall School as well as the site’s ties with Henry VIII. It makes the walks more educational and interesting.

What do you like about the Beaulieu walk in particular?

I’ve been walking around Beaulieu for years and I still walk there twice a day with the dogs. I walked there when the site was just arable fields, but it’s much better now because it’s all routed out and it’s a very inviting place to walk.

What would you say to anyone considering joining the walking group?

Come along and give one of our routes a go! Most of our walkers all return, and we are open to all age groups. We have a range of walks which are graded 1-3, so walkers can select an appropriate walk to suit their level. It’s a great way to meet new people whilst also improving your fitness and mental wellbeing!

To sign up to Heart & Sole Wellbeing Walks, visit: https://beta.ramblers.org.uk/wellbeing-walks-sign-up

Latest Newsletter:https://www.beaulieuresidents.co.uk/files/PDF/april-2022-newslettter-heartandsole-5.pdf

Beaulieu Scarecrow trail returns!

After the overwhelming positive response we had to last year’s trail, we are delighted to organise the second event, taking place over Easter weekend.

We are once again asking residents of Beaulieu Estate Management to make a scarecrow for their front gardens or front windows that are visible from outside over the Easter weekend running 15th-18h April. If you would like to make a scarecrow and be added to the trail, please email us at secretary@beaulieutrust.co.uk and we can add you to the trail map. If you could please let us know by April 8th in order to be added.

This year we are delighted to announce that there will also be prizes of Coffee squared vouchers, very kindly Donated by the Rotary Club Chelmsford Mildmay. There will also be a trophy for the overall winner.

This year we will not be displaying any scarecrows within any of the parks around Beaulieu however, there will be some additions within Beaulieu Square where we can monitor the Scarecrows with CCTV.

We will have maps available from Beaulieu Square over the weekend and there will also be a digital copy for residents to download.

We hope once again that you will enjoy the trail and looking forward to seeing all your happy scarecrows!

The Great Park is the responsibility of Countryside and will not be getting adopted by Beaulieu Estate Management.  The statement below has been provided by Countryside:

“We have started to implement our approved landscape plans for the area known as The Great Park in front of New Hall School.

The land was previously in agricultural use and is now being turned into informal parkland with an area to the east and west of the entrance avenue to New Hall School being fenced off for potential grazing and to protect the setting of the Grade 1 listed New Hall School building. The remainder of the parkland will be for public use and will include an informal kick-about area.

The installation of estate railings and tree planting has already started on site with many trees, hedgerows and grasslands to be planted to enhance the ecology of the parkland along with bench seating.  At a later stage a footpath/ cycleway will be constructed leading through the park to the new Beaulieu railway station.”

This weekend, 28th-30th January, is the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch and an excellent chance to take an hour out of your day to just sit and watch the birds. This can either be done in your own garden or in one of our parks. The idea is to count how many birds you see at any one time and then record them on the RSPB website found here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/.

The bird watch is what is referred to as a citizen science survey with more and more people within the UK taking part to understand not just populations of garden birds but what species people spot. We would be really interested in as many people as possible within Beaulieu taking part and we would love to know the most unusual bird you see or any photos you manage to capture! If you do have anything you would like to share with us including pictures, please feel free to post these onto our Facebook Group “Beaulieu residents and Beaulieu Estate Management” or email us at Beaulieuevents@thelandtrust.org.uk.

We hope you have a lovely weekend taking part!

Please note that our offices will close for the festive period at noon on 23rd December 2021, reopening on 4th Januaury 2022.

We will respond to any queries received during this time as quickly as possible in the New Year. In case of an emergency, please call 0300 3230 170 and this will be passed on to the relevant person to be dealt with as quickly as possible.

From everyone at Beaulieu Estate Management, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!