Volunteers in the Spotlight

23 volunteers from the Friends of the Guild Wheel have cleared the path at Sandyforth Lane, Fulwood, to improve access to the Preston Guild Wheel for walkers and cyclists.

The team from Friends of the Guild Wheel cut back overgrown vegetation, cleared debris and litter picked, to improve the path for walkers and cyclists, as part of their regular monthly task day to ensure the Guild Wheel remains safe and accessible to the public.

The Preston Guild Wheel is a 21-mile circular route that encompasses a wide area around the Preston city centre. Created mainly from existing public rights of way, its route passes through natural woodland, farmland, river and canal side paths, city parks, country lanes and quiet housing areas. Co-created by Peter Ward and Mike Atkins, it was opened in August 2012 as part of the city’s 2012 Guild celebrations and has since become a popular circuit for cyclists and walkers from both the local community and visitors to the city.

Re-formed in 2020 and culminating previous volunteer groups associated with the Preston Guild Wheel, the Friends of the Guild Wheel group aims to provide a resource to help preserve and maintain the Preston Guild Wheel to:

·        Create a route that is easily accessible from all parts of Preston.

·        Continue to provide a safe, family friendly (mainly off road) facility for exercise.

·        Safeguard a green ring around the city and conserve an important wildlife haven.

·        Offer the local community and visitors alternative access to Preston’s city centre without the use of cars.

·        Enhance a valuable local Preston tourist attraction.

·        Protect access to the valuable public path from the effects of local housing and commercial developments and changes to surrounding roads.

Held every second Sunday of each month, the volunteer group’s task day pinpoints an area of the Guild Wheel to clear the path and ensure it is safe and accessible. The group also works with the Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council and private landowners and developers to preserve the path and safeguard it from nearby housing and commercial developments.

Heather Waddington, secretary of the Friends of the Guild Wheel, whose father, Mike, was one of the founders behind the project said: “Our November task day saw a record number of volunteers turn out to help, we hope this continues with further task days planned.

“I am so proud of dad’s legacy and the work we do to ensure this wonderful community resource continues to be maintained, improved and protected from developments, since it was opened in 2012.”

Rob McDougall a keen cyclist and chairman of the volunteer group said: “We have a great team of volunteers that join us just for a few hours on a Sunday once a month to work on areas of the wheel that are often overgrown and difficult to navigate.

“We also invite volunteers to support us with checking plans for nearby developments to make sure that the Guild Wheel continues to be at the forefront of people’s minds whenever new housing or roads are constructed in its path.”

If you would like to take part in a Friends of the Guild Wheel task day, or would like to provide support regarding its preservation, please contact [email protected]