Free entry – no equipment needed but please wear trainers. All ages and abilities welcome – refreshments available plus sale of tennis racquets, clothing and footwear. Membership/ coaching offers available on the day.
All posts by Sue Britton
Volunteering Update
Many thanks to those who attended our second Volunteer Day on 15th March. Although we managed to achieve our main objective, the removal of the brash from the coppiced area next to Glan Aber Tennis Club, it was clear that this activity involved far too much heavy lifting for our volunteer workforce. Accordingly, we have had some discussions with our Park Development Officer, Andy James, and the FoWP committee and we have agreed that we need to better target the use of our volunteer resources in the future. For example, we might look to set up our next Volunteer Day for tidying the flowerbeds at the back of the car park and in front of the cafe. This activity is much more in line with our successful inaugural Volunteer Day when we tidied up the Lache Lane and Cliveden Road entrances.
If you have any ideas or questions on volunteering, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards, Steve Telford (Chairman, FoWP)
Volunteer Day Update
Many thanks to the dozen volunteers who turned up today in very blustery conditions to shift tree and hedge cuttings to various sites around the park. We didn’t quite finish the job but pretty close and it all looks much better.
Volunteer Day – Wednesday 13th March 10.00-14.00
Following on from the success of our January Volunteer Day, we have arranged another get together for 13th March. The main focus of activity will be to move the cuttings from the coppiced hedge next to the Glan Aber tennis courts to a couple of locations: the new dog walking area and the gaps in the hedge next to the pathway by the golf course.
In addition, the following will be tackled:
clearance of the path edges from the car park to the cafe area
the installation of footpath slabs or stones by the white gate on the pathway near to Glan Aber Tennis Club.
If you are able to volunteer please could you advise us in advance. If you know of anyone else who would like to help with this effort, please pass on this note.
Look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on that day. It will help to make our well appreciated open space even better.
Steve Telford,
Chair, Friends of Westminster Park
WPRA Gardening Club
I’ve attached a programme from the Westminster Park Residents Association Gardening Club in case anyone is interested.
Volunteer Day
Many thanks to all the helpers who turned up for our FoWP Volunteer Day on 13 January and put in a tremendous amount of effort. There were 40+ volunteers in attendance during the 3 hour period and a lot was achieved including the clean-up of the Lache Lane and Cliveden Road entrances, removal of the nettles within the young children’s play area, clearing of the pathways next to the play area and the fence which protects the young children’s football pitches, and planting of a large number of daffodil bulbs. As a result of this tremendous response we shall be planning a further Volunteer Day later in the spring.
FoWP Volunteer Day Sunday, 13 January 2019 10.00-13.00
The Friends of Westminster Park are appealing for your help on a Volunteer Day (Sunday, 13 January 10:00-13:00).
The main aims will be:
to spruce up the Lache Lane entrance to the park
to remove the nettles in the Children’s Play Area
to remove any litter in that area of the park
Andy James, our CWaC Park Development Officer, will provide litter pickers and bags and bring along some loppers, spades, forks etc. though you would be very welcome to bring your own equipment (e.g. edging tools, trowels, hoes, extra spades). If we get lots of volunteers and/or make significant progress we might be able to move onto the Cliveden Road entrance too.
If you are able to volunteer please could you advise us in advance. If you know of anyone else who would like to help with this effort, please pass on this note.
Look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on that day. It will be great to start the year in this way, helping to make our well appreciated open space even better.
Steve Telford,
Chairman
Friends of Westminster Park
AGM – Monday 26th November 2018
FRIENDS OF WESTMINSTER PARK
www.westminsterpark.org.uk
Secretary: Sue Britton, 24 Lache Lane Chester CH4 7LR
Our Annual General Meeting will be held at 8.00pm
on Monday 26 November 2018 at
Westminster Park Community Centre,
Five Ashes Road, Chester CH4 7QS
WP Cricket Fixtures 2018
FoWP December Update
In the last newsletter I mentioned that there were increasing comments and complaints about a noticeable decline in standards of upkeep in Westminster Park with grassed areas being cut less frequently and looking untidy, weeds spreading across paths, the children’s play area and BMX track, and damage from vandalism. We have been discussing these issues with Council officers who recognise that standards have declined this year but are under increasing pressure from constraints on public spending. They have undertaken to clarify and define standards and implement them more rigorously next year. Some damage from vandalism has been repaired and there were also a couple of volunteer events late in the season to catch up on a backlog of work. However, financial constraints are unlikely to be relaxed and a greater contribution is going to be needed from local volunteers to uphold standards in the future. All of us greatly value the park and its facilities so if you are able to contribute some of your time to help with tidying the park, do please get in touch with our secretary, Sue Britton, at brittonfamily@btinternet.com .
We have also been discussing improved preventative and security measures against incursions by travellers and vandalism. One possibility has been installing a height restriction barrier but a traffic survey has shown that a large number of taller vehicles come to the park entirely legitimately. In addition to the inconvenience caused, a barrier could result in detering visitors or unwanted parking in front of houses on adjacent roads. Other possibilities include reinstating CCTV cameras, installing internal barriers to prevent vehicle access to the sports pitches, and closing the park gates at night. These are still being considered.
Refurbishment of the changing room area in the central café block is still in hand and, with no additional funding available, the Council is seeking to establish working arrangements with potential user groups to look after opening and closing, regular cleaning and replenishment of supplies.
On the positive side, the café now being managed by Golfstorehouse has been offering a much improved range of food and refreshments and is being used by an increasing number of visitors to the park and groups including mother and toddler, Scrabble and ukulele. We have also been most grateful to receive the donation of another seat in the park making a total of four this year in addition to two picnic benches last year. And once again, the wide variety of trees in the park have been showing their delightful autumn colours.
David Guyton