The Forest Town Nature Conservation Group (FTNCG) works to improve nature conservation sites within and around Forest Town, including Spa Ponds and the Rushpool Open Space. Our charitable object is to “promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in and around Forest Town”. The Trustees of the charity are: Shlomo Dowen (Chair), James Healy (Vice Chair), Josh Dowen (Treasurer and Secretary), Alan Alberry, Lorraine Dowen, Mark Fretwell, Phil Goodall, Samantha Nicholson, and Dennis Platts.
Upcoming FTNCG Work Sessions
Spa Ponds Volunteer Work Sessions (starting at 10 am):
- Saturday 8th January 2022 (Chestnut Wood hedgerow improvement)
- Saturday 22nd January 2022 (Chestnut Wood hedgerow improvement)
- Saturday 5th February 2022 (Chestnut Wood hedgerow improvement / preparation for sowing)
- Saturday 19th February 2022 (final preparation for sowing)
- Saturday 26th February 2022 (sowing)
- Wednesday 2nd March 2022 (sowing)
- Wednesday 9th March 2022 (Chestnut Wood hedgerow improvement and/or sowing if necessary)
- Saturday 12th March 2022 (sowing if necessary – if not, then hedgerow improvement)
We meet at the Clipstone Drive entrance to the Spa Ponds site. We have kindly received permission from the Whitegates Hotel pub (2 Clipstone Road East, NG19 0HS) for volunteers to be able to use their car park for our work sessions.
If you would like to join the FTNCG mailing list then please email spa.ponds@gmail.com and you will then be informed of upcoming work sessions, etc. Being on the mailing list means you will also be informed of any last-minute cancellations due to weather. We also publicise events (and cancellations) via our Facebook.
Spa Ponds Nature Reserve
Map of Spa Ponds – Click to enlarge
- Local Wildlife Site purchased for the community by FTNCG in May 2014 and maintained by FTNCG volunteers
- Free to access and open to the public (walkers, cyclists and horse riders)
- Main entrance off Clipstone Drive, opposite Whitegates Pub, Forest Town
- Medieval ponds with links to the historic Clipstone Park and to King John’s Palace in Kings Clipstone
- Wildlife includes birds, toads, damselflies and dragonflies
- Click here for a Google Map showing the Clipstone Drive entrance of Spa Ponds
Walking around Spa Ponds:
- Please keep dogs on leads near the ponds to protect the wildlife
- The Mansfield InStep walking group organise walks around various sites, including Spa Ponds.
- The Mansfield Ramblers‘ Mansfield & Sherwood Walking Group also visit Spa Ponds, sometimes part of much longer walks.
- Walking guides that include Spa Ponds have been produced by: Nottinghamshire County Council (‘Mansfield Woodhouse Heritage walks‘), Friends of Thynghowe (‘Walking Through Clipstone Park‘), Mansfield District Council (‘Your guide to Local Nature Reserves & Parks in Mansfield District‘), Sherwood Forest Information (‘Kings Clipstone route 2‘) and others.
Donating to FTNCG
Donations to the Forest Town Nature Conservation Group can be made by any of the following means:
- A cheque made out to: “Forest Town Nature Conservation Group” posted to: 25 The Birchlands, Forest Town, Mansfield NG19 0ER
- Bank transfer to the Forest Town Nature Conservation Group bank account, Sort Code: 089299 Account Number: 65459324
FTNCG is Charity number 1157957, which means donations are potentially eligible for Gift Aid. Those making donations should consider whether their donations would be eligible for Gift Aid, because if they are then they should fill in a Past, Present and Future Gift Aid Declaration Form or a FTNCG Single Donation Gift Aid Declaration Form.
You can also buy Robin Hood Lottery tickets with some of the proceeds going to FTNCG: https://www.robinhoodlottery.co.uk/support/forest-town-nature-conservation-group
If you use Amazon to shop, you can also support FTNCG via AmazonSmile: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1157957-0
Volunteering Opportunities
FTNCG Members and Supporters are asked to help by:
- Liking our Facebook page and posting photos of Forest Town wildlife to it
- Becoming a member and coming to our meetings, events and work days (see above)
- Making or growing products to share and sell
- Recording and monitoring species at Spa Ponds Nature Reserve using the iRecord facility
- Helping research and document the heritage of Spa Ponds
FTNCG Forms and documents
- Historic sightings summaries:
- Spa Ponds Water Quality Testing Results (Google Spreadsheet)
- Spa Ponds Trees (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG 2016 Sightings (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG 2015 Sightings (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG 2014 Sightings (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG 2013 Sightings (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG 2012 Sightings (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG 2011 Sightings (Google Spreadsheet)
- FTNCG organisational documents:
- FTNCG’s 2021 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG’s 2020 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG’s 2019 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG’s 2018 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG’s 2017 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG’s 2016 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG’s 2015 Report and Accounts (PDF Format)
- FTNCG Data Protection Policy (PDF Format)
- FTNCG Constitution (PDF Format)
- Management Plans:
- Spa Ponds Site Management Plan (March 2021) (PDF Format)
- Spa Ponds Heritage Management Plan, including Appendices (Google Drive)
- Spa Ponds Woodland Management Plan (May 2021) (PDF Format)
- Spa Ponds Ecology Report and Management Plan (EMEC Ecology, March 2015) (PDF Format)
- Spa Ponds Nature Reserve Report April 1996 (PDF Format)
- Generic FTNCG Risk Assessments (DOCX format)
- FTNCG Minutes Archive
- Membership and donations:
- FTNCG Membership Form (PDF Format)
- FTNCG Past, Present and Future Gift Aid Declaration Form (PDF Format)
- FTNCG Single Donation Gift Aid Declaration Form (PDF Format)
- FTNCG Local Green Space Nomination for Spa Ponds (PDF Format)
Click here for third-party websites and documents of interest to FTNCG members and supporters (including a list of FTNCG affiliations)
- Visit / ‘Like’ our FTNCG Facebook page
- Visit / ‘Like’ our Spa Ponds Facebook page
- Join our Spa Ponds Heritage Facebook group
FTNCG Contact Details
- Phone Shlomo on 01623 640 134
- E-mail spa.ponds@gmail.com
- You can also contact us via our FTNCG and Spa Ponds Facebook pages