Friends of Enfield Park - good idea

[Geoffrey Settle]

 

Above is a study that I did for lasy year's Stockton Health Festival, it's a burnt out Kawasaki that I found one morning in Enfield Park, close by was a burnt out blue bin a blob of colour in the autumn leaves.

 

Well I am a resident member of Friends of Peel Hall Park.

 

As a runner I have used the paths for running, walking, joined the Rangers for planting bulbs and garlic in the oak woods, mounted rescues of tree house dwellers, tried to save the associated John Parr wildflower meadows, been stoned on Radley Common by youths after I questioned them about why they were throwing stones at the only lamp that was next to the burnt out shelters and scrambler tracks in the football field.... the fly tipped mega load of suites removed from the grounds of the old scout hut, dragged bikes bins etc out of the pool, got the gate put back on the new path only to see it removed a few months later - reason it's the route that the bikers use too get to Radley Plantation where they scramble around the Woodland Trust beautiful wood close to where the Greater Crested Newt and it buddies hang out but that years ago the land owner ploughed up his fields destroying the landscape and biodiversity and home of a lonely deer that the founder of the Friends group saw one morning - do you get my drift about the need to do something there and the same applies to a greater or lesser extent to every park in Warrington. Enfield park need as bit of TLC - certainly the path and careful assessment of the habitat which is very rich and diverse -

 

I wouldn't like to see it fundamentally changed and with my nature conservation and Mersey Forest hats on I would like to get my chums to help give it a make over. I remeber the Rangers who ran woodland courses, cleaned and Mel who resufaced the 'duck pond' before like many of out rangers had to saay good bye for one reason or another - the amount of knowledge that these guys had just couldn't be measured neither could their passion - I've never known such devoted people - they went ape when the land owner near by bull dozed two entire fields and destroyed the wildlife habitat that had taken a decade to sort of recover but taht's another camapign.

 

I remember my two meetings with Paula Darlington who used to be responsible for our Parks up keep. As a Parish councillor I was there to ask her a question about the park when she made he innaugural visit to the Fearnhead Cross Community centre. She couldn't answer my question about the path with 179 patches because she didn't know where Enfield Park was But that was fair enough because she had only been in the job a few months.

 

Last year during my induction I asked her what was the solution to sorting out the issues that the local residents had around improvements. Was it to go down the route of forming a Friends Group. She confirmed that it was.

 

Well as you can imagine I’ve been dead busy learning what the role of a councillor, there has been so much to do and how to manage the large case load etc. It doesn’t just happen overnight. I’ve introduced a lot of change dealt with over 300 issues raised on my 'Street Surgeries'. As a consequence I have started numerous campaign after knocking on a quarter of Poulton North, I have 1,000house speaking face to face with over 30% of the local residents during my street surgeries. I recently did a similar exercise whilst I was marshalling in the Isle of Man during my free time at the recent TT Motorcycle races. It is part of my dissertation for my MSc course . This ahs confirmed my street surgey approach as well as learning about life as an Memeber of the House of Keys and commissioners form the eyes of the Manx people and the come overs.

 

Bach on my patch trees have and continue to be the number one topic especially when the branches grow over the fences surrounding Enfield Park fences. Issues are raised about stopping the sun rays from reaching gardens, tree roots, disease etc.

 

It’s now time I believe for a Friends Groups to be set up and the local residents association, Cinnamon Brow Residents Association (CIMBRA) have made the Park their number one target for this year.

 

I have litter picked for the last two months on an almost daily basis – at the start I picked up 4 carrier backs of litter, next day it was two because I could see the stuff I has missed – when I go out today I expected it to be only a few sweet rappers – I am now only finding the odd baggie – and fingers crossed people are getting thee mesage and strting to drop less litter - there have been no more burnt out bins, motorbikes etc etc.

 

The local East Area Board agree with me and they announced last Wednesday that they are arranging a meet between all ‘Friends of Parks’ in the EAST of Warrington - they want the Friends group to share knowledge and ideas.

 

When the Friends of Peel Hall started – Lynn from Stronger Together took us all to a Knowsley Park Friends annual event - it was awesome as was the park whose name escapes me but what an aspiration it provided us with - somthing amazing to work towards - Bob and Pearl have lead us with huge success down the path to what you all can see if you visit.

 

All park are different and Enfield park is small – in fact many locals don’t even know it is their – I want to encourage them out of their houses and take an active interest and hopefully enjoy what’s on their doorstep.

 

Do you think Friends Groups the way forward for Warrington Parks?

[Peter T]

There's no alternative Geoff. It has worked well in other places, and you should hopefully have no shortage of volunteers.

[Dizzy]

The park round here now seems to have a 'friends group' too. I don't know when it was set up or what difference it has made as the park is just as nice as it's always been (apart from the teenage boozers at night and rude clicky mothers at the end of day school park play time, they don't seem to like intruders with other little kids playing there at the same time )

 

I guess if you are a park these days then you are nothing

 

I wonder when we'll start having 'friends of roads', 'friends of grass verges', 'friends of picnic benches', 'friends of trees' and the like.

 

I might start a 'friends of the nice cherry tree' on our road.

[Victor]

How about a friend of Victor !!!!!!!!!

[Dizzy]

Don't be silly Victor.. not a chance there

[silverlady54]

Where is Enfield Park? I've never heard of it!

[reader]

WBC should put it right 1st. They have spent little on it in the last 20 years compared with other areas. Why should volunteers do something that many of us remember the parks dept doing and we pay for.

 

When Geoff got elected he organized a bloke from the council to come round regarding tree maintenance.

 

The chap said they would not prune trees that were in open parkland - rubbish they had done some in another area. The following day they started a mass prune up in Peel Park.

 

When I was at school there was a word that described stories like this

[wahl]

WBC should put it right 1st. They have spent little on it in the last 20 years compared with other areas. Why should volunteers do something that many of us remember the parks dept doing and we pay for.

 

When Geoff got elected he organized a bloke from the council to come round regarding tree maintenance.

 

The chap said they would not prune trees that were in open parkland - rubbish they had done some in another area. The following day they started a mass prune up in Peel Park.

 

When I was at school there was a word that described stories like this

 

 

well said Reader.

About time the area saw some activity from the council to justify their exhorbitant cuncil taxes.

[Dizzy]

I must admit that like SL I have never actually heard of Enfield Park. I now know roughly where it is but what is there and what is it like ? Anyone got any photo's ?

 

We are lucky as the park over here which now has a 'friends' group has always been nice and well maintained area so not sure why it really needed a 'friends' group but I guess it's becoming the norm now and I have no problem with that.

 

I think WBC own it but there has also been a Park Ranger for a few years now who I think is paid by Stockton Heath Parish Council and Appleton Parish Council (I guess he looks after more than just Alexander Park and the nearby Mill Lane Playing field.

 

What I also know though is that the people who live near the playing field have always done their bit to keep it nice and to pick up litter themselves for as long as I can remember. My mum regularly used to collect bin sacks of empty bottles, beer cans and rubish off the field and I know some of the nearby neighbours still do and I guess as people have always looked after it then it has become an area that everyone respects and tries to keep nice with or without the help of a Park Ranger, Parish Council or the Council themselves. Not saying for one minute that they should stop their hard work though either !

 

Is there a Parish Council in the area of Enfield Park and if so what do they do... and if not why isn't there one ?

[Peter T]

The Ranger you are talking about Dizzy, just looks after what you have mentioned. We were promised his help at the Friends of Latchford Parks,based at the Black Bear cabin on Lousher's Lane, but it appears that he didn't realise that was part of his responsibilities and has not been seen.

 

Basically, like you said, it was already set up. It didn't take much organising. They now chase after accredited flags.

[Dizzy]

I though he did other area's too... seems a waste for a ranger to only be emplyed to maintain areas which are pretty much ok to start off with.

 

Maybe you should ask the question of why you got no help at the next Stockton Heath or Appleton Parish Council meetings ?