RAF Station is blooming lovely thanks to a Methodist Church Grant

RAF Odiham in Hampshire is looking a little brighter after a grant from the Methodist Forces Board was used to plant up flower boxes and tubs in neglected areas around the base. The base is home to the UK Chinook force and the Methodist chaplain there, the Revd Dawn Colley, facilitated several events alongside Warrant Officer Grimshaw, to coincide with a wider community project, ‘Odiham in Bloom’ working within Joint Aviation Command.

Flower boxes were planted on the footpath down to the main guardroom, tubs and hanging baskets outside the church and a tree was planted at the main entrance to station, which in spring should look incredible with white blossom.

The Community Support Team organised a teddy bears picnic and provided refreshments, cookies and cakes for the families attending the afternoon event, along with a food truck and an ice cream van.

WO Grimshaw said: “The weather was on our side, and it turned out to be a fantastic afternoon with lots of people attending. It was lovely to see all the children running around looking for the clues with their teddies and all wearing bear ears or masks. I believe they all had a thoroughly fun afternoon, and the adults all had a great time too.”

Some money from the grant was left over which will be used to buy tulip and daffodil bulbs to plant in the tubs outside the church once the summer plants die off, so it will look lovely again for the spring.

Families could also take part in a herb planting session. Padre Dawn reflected that the grant from the Methodist Church helped to enhance the collaborative working with other agencies to provide fun for the families and the whole force and to celebrate time spent together reflecting on the joy of nature.