Caterham on the Hill Parish Council has recently donated £460 towards new ragforks for the Downlands Project.

Ragforks are used to pull up Ragwort, which contains poisons which damage the liver of grazing animals. Left to seed, this plant can rapidly multiply and be very difficult and time consuming to control. As this plant is detrimental to the health of livestock, it is imperative that fields are cleared before livestock are introduced.

Debbie Hescott, Administration Officer for the Downlands & Old Surrey Downs Projects said: "These funds are such a big help to our Project, in particular, as we have so much ragwort to pull this summer. We urgently need to purchase more ragforks to give to the volunteers that help to clear the fields, so this funding is greatly appreciated."

The Downlands Project is always looking for more practical conservation volunteers. If you are able to help, please contact the Project team on 01737 737700, email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.downlandsproject.org.uk.