Volunteers help with footbridge repairs

A group of volunteers from Culm Valley Young Farmers Club are donning their work gear for a day of hard graft at one of Devon’s rural communities.

The group have kindly agreed to help Devon County Council’s Public Rights of Way team carry out some important repair and restoration work at the footbridge over the River Culm in Hemyock.

The bridge near Hemyock has taken a battering over the past two years and is in danger of becoming permanently surrounded by water.

Getting stone to site needs to be moved to the location by buckets and wheelbarrows and that’s where the young farmers group have very kindly offered to help.

The volunteers will be moving boulders to fill a submerged wire basket. This will reinforce a thin bank that is in danger of washing away. 

Local member for Willand and Uffculme, Councillor Ray Radford says: “What a wonderful offer from the local young farmers. It is quite fitting that only this year the National Young Farmers buried a time capsule near the Millhayes Bridge to commemorate the forming of The Young Farmers Movement, starting here in Hemyock, all those years ago.

"This is a fine example of a local club getting together with the local authorities and the local community to solve a local problem. They saw there was a problem to be sorted and decided they would like to help.

“When there is a hard graft work to be done, you can always rely on some strong strapping young farmers to get stuck in…well done. On behalf of Devon County Council, I thank you all for your help, this will be very much appreciated by your community.”

Oliver Reed from the Culm Valley Young Farmers said: “Every year as a club we try and put something back into the community and we’re willing to help with all sorts of things like cleaning church yards or cleaning the river. Also we try to do as much fundraising for charity as possible and we feel this is a good way to let people see what the young farmers are all about.”