News

    Tiptoe Green

June 2024 - Statement regarding a review of future management of the Green:

The Tiptoe Green Trust was set up in 2009 to ensure that the area now known as Tiptoe Green is retained in perpetuity as an area free of development for use as public open space, also managed to enhance native wildlife. 

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In recent years, a number of issues have come to light regarding the management of Tiptoe Green. In summary, these include:

- Concern about how to ensure the long-term future of Tiptoe Green. This is a concern for some of the Trustees.  

- Difficulty in recruiting new trustees and volunteers, although there has been some recent success in respect of recruiting new trustees. 

- Trustee liability in the event of an accident on the Green (despite insurance cover).  Again this is a concern for some of the Trustees.  

In order to address these concerns, the trustees are investigating the following options:

-  Keep the Trust as it is now, assuming continued successful recruitment of trustees (and volunteers) for the foreseeable future. This could include investigation of changing the status of the Trust to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which would limit the personal liability of the trustees;

-  Increase the involvement of Hordle and Sway parish councils, so that they would take on the legal responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship, freeing the local community to focus on the management of the Green, while also providing a long-term back-up in the event of failure of the Trust.  

The trustees are investigating the full implications of these options, and, as has always been the case with the Green, will not take a decision on any of them without full consultation with the Tiptoe community. The Trustees intend to explain all the issues, options and (if possible) their preferred option in the next (Autumn) edition of the Tiptoe News and to establish the Tiptoe community's views on these before any decision is made by the Trust on the next steps.

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June 2024: 

Summer has arrived and with it some more wild flowers on the Green including in the hedgerows.  The Green has also dried out sufficiently for the central area to be mowed and was just about ready to support the very successful May Fayre!

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The hedge that was laid on 3 March is now sprouting leaves and is looking good.  It has now been supplemented with some hedgerow trees, and wildflowers have been planted along that edge of the Green.  In addition, the Community Orchard near the main gate has received some welcome additions thanks to the efforts of the CPRE, the Hampshire Forest Partnership and local children who did an amazing job of planting the new fruit trees - see photos below.

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Work is continuing on updating the management plan (see link below) in line with advice received from Bob Lord about enhancing both wildlife interest and use of the Green by local people.  You can see the report from Bob Lord (link below) outlining some possible ways the Green could be organised.  A particular priority is the wildlife area which has become overgrown with brambles and scrub. Work is also needed to maintain the path.