On a recent Saturday around 70 members of congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Wandsworth area, London, met at Brockmill Nature Park to perform their annual Helping Hands service project. It was arranged through ‘Thames 21’, a waterway charity which works with communities across Greater London to improve rivers, canals, ponds and lakes for people to enjoy and for wildlife to flourish. Brockmill Park has a variety of facilities, including a play area, the River Ravenbourne and a foot and cycle path, which runs a long distance.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
On arrival the organisers divided all the helpers into small groups and assigned the tasks of clearing rubbish from the river and cutting back vegetation. Before getting to work everyone, including children, got dressed in boots and chest high waders. Although it rained consistently throughout the week, on this day there was not a cloud in the sky and the good weather helped the group complete the assignments. A considerable amount of rubbish was cleared from the river, including a mattress, shopping trolley and parts of a vehicle, which not only spoils the environment but also the ability of the public to fully enjoy the beauty of whole area.
The park is well used by the public, is regarded as a great asset and several individuals expressed gratitude for the service of this large group of people who totally engrossed themselves in their assigned tasks and were happy to be of service to the community in such a significant way.