This page contains news updates of events and activities at Fleet Pond.

Latest Fleet Pond Society News

January 28th 2009 : Young Person of the Year 2009

Richard Bennett, a Fleet Pond Society volunteer was nominated for the Young Person of the Year award organised by Fleet Festivities Partnership and funded as joint project with Hart District Council Community and Partnerships and Hart Youth Partnership.

All at Fleet Pond Society were delighted when he won.

Richard is pictured receiving his award—in the snow—from Sharyn Wheale whilst he was on university holiday over the new year, also pictured are Colin Gray,Geoff Dee & Cathy Holden.

January 26th 2009 : Fleet Pond Society Christmas Card competition

Fleet Pond Society is running a competition to find photographs that will be printed as Christmas cards and sold in order to raise funds for the society.

The winners will be credited on the cards and will receive a free pack of Fleet Pond Society Christmas cards as their prize.

The photographs can have been taken in previous years, and must be of Fleet Pond Nature Reserve.

The entry fee is £3:00 per person.

Please contact Vicki Jull on vickijull@ntlworld.com for further information or download the entry form here.

January 20th 2009 : Fleet Pond Society Curry evening a big success

A packed Gulshan restaurant enjoyed excellent food and hospitality in aid of the Carnival Bridge replacement.

A big thank you to all at the restaurant and those of you who came along.

There's still plenty of money to be raised, though, so feel free to send contributions (or purchase FPS clothing)!

December 29th 2009 : Fleet Pond Society article in Hampshire Life Magazine

The January 2010 issue of Hampshire Life magazine includes an article on Fleet Pond Society and its work.

You can see a larger extract of the article here or buy the magazine!

December 3rd 2009 : Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Fleet Pond Society will take place at 7.15pm on Saturday 20th February 2010 at the St. P & J Church Hall, Kings Road, Fleet.

We would like to encourage Members to attend, as this is your opportunity to put questions to the Executive Committee and to share your views on the future of Fleet Pond Nature Reserve.

Nominations are required for the election of Officers and Members to the Executive Committee.

For more information - Download this document

November 1st 2009 : Bats for Halloween

Just to prove we at FPS are in the Halloween mood, we put up eight bat boxes recently, in the wood just west of the Green.

We are hoping to provide roosts for Brown long-eared bats, Pipistrelles and who knows what else?

October 21st 2009 : Join us for a Curry for Carnival Bridge

The Pond Society invite you to the hottest event of the year at the Gulshan restaurant in Fleet, at 7.30pm on 19 January, 2010.


We will be served a sumptuous meal of starters, mains, naans and rice chosen specially for us by Mr Chowdhury.
And if you're still hungry when you've finished what's been served - then just ask for some more! You can have as much as you like. There'll plenty for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.
The event is to help raise money for replacing Carnival Bridge and for us all to have a great night out.

Tickets are £15 in advance. So blow away those winter blues, invite your friends and contact Jim Storey for your tickets.
Contact him on 647650 or jim.storey17@ntlworld.com. They're going fast!

August 10th 2009 : Dog attacks at Fleet Pond

Fleet Pond Society was recently informed about a large dog that has been attacking other dogs, even when held on a lead.
The owner had been unable to exercise adequate control.
The issue became much more serious when one dog received serious lacerations following an attack.

Both Hart District Council and our local police have been informed, have spoken to the owner and are working with the owner towards a solution. Their first inclination was to have the dog destroyed but do try to avoid such extreme measures if it is felt there are acceptable alternatives. Training of both owner and dog is being tried and results will determine future action.
If you should experience any incidents of dogs with aggressive behaviour or attacking other dogs or wildlife, please report such incidents to the police.
Please give as accurate a description as possible of the owner.

July 19th 2009 : Cattle at Fleet Pond

In an ongoing natural grazing project, Alexandra and Hyacinth are this year at Fleet Pond - You may see them grazing in the fields around the Pond on your travels.

July 11th 2009 : Fleet Pond Society at the Fleet Carnival

FPS Members were out in the Fleet Carnival procession today.

The theme was Food and so, in honour of the Pond's origin as as fishery for the Bishop of Winchester, they dressed as Monks to collect money for charity and dole out sweets to the children.

Their efforts scooped a 3rd prize in the Private Entrants category.

They then went on to celebrate their success in a manner I'm sure the Bishop wouldn't have approved of!

June 24th 2009 : Heritage on your doorstep event - September 12th

Fleet and Crookham have a fascinating history that may not be obvious at first glance, and a display at Fleet Library on 12 September will show how the area has developed from Roman times through the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries to the place we live in today.

The event is part of the Heritage Open Days, England’s biggest voluntary cultural event, and takes place on Saturday 12 September at Fleet Library from 9.30am until 4.30pm. Activities include fascinating display materials, a children's quiz and a mini town trail.

Three popular local interest groups – Fleet & Church Crookham Society, Fleet & Crookham Local History Group and Fleet Pond Society – have combined their knowledge to put the event together. Gillian Wain, representing the three groups, said, “Heritage Open Days celebrates England's fantastic architecture and culture at events across the country. Our display at the library and our mini Fleet town trail will show the changes that Fleet, Church Crookham and Crookham have seen over the centuries, and should prove very interesting. Come along and discover the heritage on your doorstep!”

Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest voluntary cultural event. More than 3,500 historic and unusual buildings open their doors to the public for free and put on tours and events during the second weekend in September. 90 per cent of the population live within 30 minutes of a Heritage Open Days event. More information is available from www.heritageopendays.org.uk.

For more information about the event please email us

May 28th 2009 : Lynx, Lucas and Lego at Fleet Pond.

Here are pictures of Lynx, Lego and Lucas who arrived on Wood Lane Heath yesterday.


They obviously love having their photo taken and are standing in order of their names for role call! They are young males and full of energy, so will be brilliant at grazing the wet heath.

April 28th 2009 : NEW BOOKLET: FLEET POND SOCIETY - THE FIRST 30 YEARS by Society President Peter Martin.

As you may have seen from local newspapers, the above booklet has now been printed and is available from

Peter Martin 17 Longmead,
Fleet, Hampshire.
GU52 7TX
(Tel: 01252 684828)

at £3 per copy (add £1 if you want it posted).

In order to avoid using Society funds, which are raised to help protect and enhance Fleet Pond Nature Reserve, the printing costs were raised by sponsorship and special thanks are due to the following:

The booklet begins with a Foreword by the Society’s Patron, Chris Packham.

The booklet is a “must have” for all who have supported the efforts of the Society over many years and would like a reminder of its achievements. For newer Members, it will help to paint a picture of what our volunteers have done. It deals with the reasons for forming the Society, what happened in the early years, how the footpaths were constructed, the installation of the bridges and landing stage, pollution incidents, wildlife rescues, voluntary wardening, fire fighting, fund raising, the Twinning and the conservation working parties. It is not only a historical record of what the Society has accomplished; it is a tribute to all that the volunteers have done to make sure that the flora and fauna within the Reserve is protected, whilst still providing an area for quiet enjoyment for local residents.

All monies received from sales will go into the Society’s funds for the protection and enhancement of Fleet Pond Nature Reserve.

April 8th 2009 : Upgrades to the footpaths

Good news for walkers at Fleet Pond.

The Fleet Pond Society have £1,000 to spend on the footpath from Gelvert Bridge to the Coldstream end of the Sandy Bay boardwalk. Colin will need to write a cheque for the supplier as soon as this award cheque arrives.

We are hoping there will be enough material to continue the path to the first rise up onto the upper Sandhills path.

January 25th 2009 : Fleet Pond Society AGM and Garden Party

The AGM will take place on 21st February, 2009 at SS Philip’s & James’s Church Hall, Kings Road, Fleet at 7:15PM.

As well as the AGM, the 2008 Photographic Competition awards will be presented and the entries displayed.

Full details here.

And.. a little later in the year, but one for your diary, the Fleet Pond Society Garden Party will take place on Saturday 13th June 2009 between 11.00am to 4.00pm at Grasmere, 35 Chestnut Grove, Fleet.

Lots of bargains, plant stall, cake stall, bric-a-brac and games for kids of all ages.

All are welcome—so come along, enjoy the day and help us raise funds for the pond.

September 20th 2008 : Fleet Pond Blog

Not that new, but we have just added a link to the Fleet Pond Blog to the site.

You can find the blog at http://fleetpond.wordpress.com/.

July 23rd 2008 : Air Ambulance lands at Fleet Pond

Colin Gray had a close encounter at Fleet Pond.

Air Ambulance landed at Sandy Bay

Excitement at the pond this morning around 11.30 a.m. I was out inspecting the work site for the employee volunteers visit on 30th July when a helicopter arrived flying lower and lower. The pilot tried to land on Fugelmere Marsh but wisely gave up the attempt and landed at Sandy Bay. Three paramedics disembarked in a hurry and the leading one asked me where they could find Kenilworth Road. Off they dashed followed quickly by the pilot.

Later I met them coming back and there was an ambulance and a paramedic car at the junction with Westover and Fugelmere. Three green-clothed paramedics asked me where the helicopter had landed and rushed of after them. I was not told what the problem was but it was obviously pretty urgent.

June 23rd 2008 : Cattle at Fleet Pond

Once again there are cattle grazing at Fleet Pond as part of the natural management project.

Cows at Fleet Pond

We now have two Belted Galloways at Wood Lane Heath!

They are Murray (the black and white one), who was with the girls at Elvetham Heath last year, and then joined the boys at the end of the summer when Foot and Mouth meant he couldn't go back to the farm.

His girl friend is Jessie (the dun one) and he is very interested in her indeed, so we may have a Fleet Pond conceived calf to boast about next year!

April 6th 2008 : Snow at Fleet Pond

Snow in our part of England is unusual these days and to have enough to settle is even more so.

We woke up this morning to see a covering of snow in our garden, so I nipped down to the Pond and took some photos.

The water obviously kept the temperatures up a little, as the snow was thinner on the ground around the pond, but the trees were heavy with snow and there were plenty of people out enjoying the beautiful scenery that the snow produced.

November 2007 : Fleet Pond Restoration Programme

Hart District Council has employed contractors ENTEC to draft a Framework Project for the restoration of Fleet Pond - Read the full report here.

July 2007 : KAY NEWBY BOOKLET ON FOX CUB FOSTERING

Kay Newby has put together all her experiences with fostering and feeding foxes into a little book.

There are some good photos in it and the story would appeal to anyone who welcomes foxes to their gardens or just likes them. It sells for £1 a copy with funds going to FPS.

Contact Barbara Martin if you are interested in a copy.

June 2007 : LIONS JOIN THE ACTION IN THE RAIN

Despite steady rain all morning, a team of twelve volunteers, including four Fleet Lions, joined the Path Patch task at Fleet Pond on 13th May. Dripping but unbowed the team repaired breaches in the Gelvert Stream banks that threatened to erode the footpath.

Once more the newly acquired tractor proved it was up to the task and moved four trailer loads of sand from Sandy Bay to fill in the gaps, faced with willow poles interwoven with willow and holly saplings. It is hoped that the willow will root to consolidate the repairs.

This was the first time that Fleet Lions had had the opportunity to meet the tractor, for which they had helped to raise funds, and to see it in action. They had been unable to attend the launch ceremony back in March. Jim Storey, Fleet Lion team leader, said: “The tractor and tipping trailer was a great help to our work. We all looked like Water Voles at the end of the day, but we had a lot of fun.”

This was the second of two tasks under the banner ACTION EARTH organised by Community Service Volunteers, Environment, and sponsored by Morrisons’ Supermarkets. This is an annual event and Fleet Pond Society volunteers are regular participants. Society chairman, Colin Gray said: “CSV is the UK’s leading volunteer organisation and we are pleased to support their efforts to encourage local people to take an active part in volunteering activities which bring benefits to the local community.”

Details of activities under the Action Earth banner can be found at www.csv.org.uk and for more information about Fleet Pond and the Society contact Colin Gray at colin@fleetpondsociety.co.uk or visit the website www.fleetpondsociety.co.uk

May 2007 : Hartford Park, Pyestock.

Members who attended the AGM will recall that I mentioned that a new planning application was pending for redevelopment of the old NGTE site at Pyestock. The Developers, Prudential Properties Investment Management, wish to redevelop the site as a major warehousing and distribution facility, which would mean a large number of HGV movements daily, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The developer suggests this might be some 600 per day but research by the campaign group Stop Pyestock Blot – Act Now (SPLAT) have estimated a figure more like 1,500. Whatever figure is nearer the truth it is a lot of HGVs moving between the M3 and Pyestock and probably even more, smaller vans and lorries distributing goods via local roads.

Local residents are concerned at the level of light pollution, noise and air pollution that is likely to be generated by this site, and about road congestion and the overall impact on our local environment should the application be approved. It is currently being assessed by Hart District Council under planning application reference 07/00764/MAJOR and full details can be found by visiting the Hart DC website www.hart.gov.uk and following links to planning online.

I would strongly recommend that you look at this application and make your views known to the Council either by letter, e-mail or using the website facility.

Fleet Pond Society has discussed this application at the Executive Committee and at the AGM. The Society must assess the potential impact on the nature reserve and the wildlife to which it gives sanctuary. In this respect we lodged concerns at potential impacts of light pollution from a 24 hour operation, potential noise levels and expressed concern that strong measures must be taken to ensure that no vehicle washing materials or oils spills could escape the site into the streams and ditches on adjacent land that might find its way into Fleet Pond or Cove Brook.

We felt that potential impacts on traffic and local residents would be best addressed by SPLAT, Fleet & Crookham Civic Society and the residents themselves. It is a fact that a large number of letters has a greater influence on the Council decision than one letter from one organisation.

Please do look at this application and make your own views known. Letters count.

April 2007 : BAMBOO BASH AT BROOKLY STREAM

The newly acquired tractor and trailer for Fleet Pond’s volunteer force proved its value when volunteers tackled a large spread of bamboo that was threatening to take over the bank of the Brookly Stream. Three trailer loads of cut bamboo stems and roots were ferried back to the workshop for disposal when volunteers took part in the first of two projects of 2007 under the Action Earth banner. Action Earth is a country-wide scheme organised by Community Service Volunteers and sponsored in 2007 by Morrison’s supermarkets. The scheme encourages groups to attract volunteers to help in community projects and modest financial grants are available to help with essential tools and materials.

Twelve volunteers donned wellies and wielded loppers, spades and mattocks to tackle the dense bamboo thicket and dig out the tough roots. Leader Dave Buckler said: “If we had not had the tractor we would have had the task of carrying large bundles of bamboo away from the site by hand. The stream runs along the rear of several private gardens and burning on site was not an option. We always have to think of the neighbours when bonfires might otherwise solve a problem of disposal.”

April 2007 : TRACTOR LAUNCH AT FLEET POND.

Donors and benefactors gathered at Hart Countryside Workshop in Fleet to launch the Kubota 1410 tractor purchased for use by volunteers and the rangers at the Fleet Pond nature reserve. The purchase of the two-year old Kubota and a brand new trailer was made possible by a £3,000 grant from the Rushmoor Borough Council/ TAG Farnborough Airport Ltd Environment Fund, £1,000 from the Cayo Foundation arranged by James Arbuthnot MP, £250 donated by Fleet Lions and £540 from Fleet Pond Society Funds.

A further £10,000 from the Environment Fund will be used to fund preparatory work for the Restoration Programme for Fleet Pond.

Roger Walker, Director of Operations at TAG, said “We are delighted that the Environment Fund is being used for active environmental improvements and support for voluntary effort in the community. It is rewarding to see first hand how the fund is being used.” Roger, dressed for the office rather than the outdoors, declined the offer to drive the tractor but James Arbuthnot took a turn at the wheel and declared it: “Definitely fit for purpose.” Councillor Paul Einchcomb, Hart’s portfolio holder for the Countryside, also took a spin round the workshop yard. Paul said: “Hart Council welcomes the positive co-operation between the Countryside Service and Fleet Pond Society that has helped to bring together funding for a machine that will serve both organisations well in their activities at Fleet Pond.”

Attending the launch with Roger, James and Paul were Elaine Turner, TAG Events Manager, Councillor Sue Fisher, Pondtail Ward councillor and Steve Lyons, Hart Ranger. The launch and the refreshments that followed were organised by Fleet Pond Society. Society committee and members present were Colin Gray, Chairman, and Mavis Gray, Barbara Martin, Events Organiser, and her husband Society founder member, Peter, and Vicki Jull and former Chairman David Jones and his wife Joan. Colin said: “We wanted to thank all those whose contributions had made it possible to provide a reliable all-terrain transport for all the tools and equipment our volunteers need in their management tasks at Fleet Pond. This small tractor answers our prayers and we are very grateful. We welcome the support of the Countryside Service and look forward to sharing this excellent little tractor with them.”

February 2007 : New Tractor Arrives

Here are a couple of pictures of the replacement tractor arriving at the Workshop, its new home.

It’s a Kubota 1410 and replaces our old and venerable Yanmar.

Purchase of this more modern machine and a brand new, tipping trailer was made possible by generous contributions from Rushmoor Borough Council Environment Fund, The Cayo Foundation and Fleet Lions.