A council has banned charity volunteers who have looked after a medieval cemetery for the last decade from using a lawnmower – citing health and safety reasons.
The group, who have been maintaining the ancient St Giles Hill Graveyard in Hampshire, fear they may be have to stop taking care of the resting place.
The Friends of St Giles have been told they can no longer use power tools on the site – which is the resting place of a Titanic casualty and seven WWI victims – due to Winchester City Council insurance rules.
They have since warned they can’t go on maintaining the graveyard which offers sweeping views of Winchester, if they have to keep the grass down ‘using a pair of scissors’.
Even though a volunteer has never suffered an injury whilst tending to the area, charity chairman Dave Stewart, 73, said that the council seemingly had a ‘sudden’ change of heart.
Winchester City Council told the group via a phone call to stop using power tools earlier this month.
In a follow up email, an official said: ‘I understand that you will be annoyed at this as you have been maintaining the graveyard for so many years with no problems with the use of these tools…
‘Please know that we really are not trying to be difficult, we really appreciate and value all the work you carry out at the graveyard…
‘However, it is more complex than we would have expected and we have been consulting with our insurers, health and safety and other councils to ensure we come to the correct decision for this authority.
Winchester City Council has banned charity volunteers who have looked after a medieval cemetery for the last decade from using a lawnmower citing health and safety reasons
The Friends of St Giles been told they can no longer use power tools on the site due to Winchester City insurance rules (pictured: Dr David J Stewart)
‘This must be incredibly frustrating for you but we have no other option but to explore the implications of allowing use of power tools more thoroughly.’
Dr Stewart said the group has its own insurance to use power tools like lawnmowers but will be forced to close down if the ban stays in place.
The Friends have been looking after St Giles Hill Graveyard since 2014, and the council has even sent some of their staff to help the good samaritans on occasion.
The council promised a ‘full explanation’ for the ban, but even after meeting with the trustees of the charity on January 24, no such thing has materialised.
But Dr Stewart said the volunteers can’t keep going without lawnmowers and other power tools.
He said: ‘It’s pretty soon it gets into the growing season. By March, everything starts to grow and we won’t be able to really keep up with it.
‘All because we have projects to develop, meadow areas and basically we need to keep the place in good shape to be able to do those things.
‘So we can’t keep grasses and other vegetation down using a pair of scissors. And trimmers, it would take a large number of volunteers a lot of time to do that.
Dr Stewart worries of the consequences if the ban isn’t lifted soon, adding that the group had spent ten years ‘getting it [the graveyard] in a good shape,’ before adding: ‘And it could well be that in a year it could be overgrown again, things grow so fast.’
The Friends began their work at the cemetery on an ad hoc basis to nurture the land and wildlife, before becoming a charity in 2019 in order to get insurance to be able to use the lawnmower.
The site dates back to medieval times but the oldest observable grave in the cemetery dates back to 1694. Winchester City Council officially took charge of the resting place towards the end of 2021.
Retired geologist Dr Stewart said that the group has about 75 volunteers, working in groups of between 10 to 12, with each person working one day every month.
He said the charity has become a group where people make friends and socialise.
He said: ‘The tragedy is that our volunteers love coming here… If we had to abandon the thing because of this, it would be tragic for them as well as us.’
The council promised to explain what’s made them implement the lawnmower ban at a meeting with the charity on January 24 this year.
Instead, the council representative just said that she would try and resolve the issue by drawing up a licence agreement.
Even though a volunteer has never suffered an injury whilst tending to the area, charity chairman Dave Stewart , 73, said that the council seemingly had a ‘sudden’ change of heart.
The volunteers plan to work on the cemetery until the beginning of February but won’t be able to if the ban isn’t lifted by then.
The volunteers plan to work on the cemetery on February 1, but won’t be able to if the ban isn’t lifted by then.
Winchester City Council have been approached for comment.
A spokesperson from the city council previously said: ‘We’re very sorry to have caused upset to the volunteers of the Friends of St Giles Hill Graveyard.
‘By no means was our intention to ever undermine or undervalue the incredible work they do.
‘Whilst we had everyone’s safety in mind, it’s clear that we should have handled this situation better and offered solutions.
‘We have been in contact directly with the chair of the volunteers group and have arranged to meet so we can offer a full explanation and a resolution.
‘We absolutely want the brilliant work the Friends do to continue, and we will work with them to ensure it can, should they wish to do so.’
