I live in an estate, and in 2012, I started a 'Friends of Parks' group. This was because our local nature reserve was not being used. People said it was a no-man’s land, but I went to see it and it was lovely – it has a little bridge, and a little pond. I got in touch with the parks department and started a ‘friends’ group, which has now raised thousands of pounds towards our projects.
We have re-lined ponds, had benches painted, and we are leading a major project to regenerate the park soon. We also worked with a local primary school to encourage dog owners to clear up after their dogs. The children created posters with quite graphic pictures drawn of dog poo! These posters were very effective, and we saw a decrease in dog mess in the reserve.
I’m also in the tenants and residents committee on my estate. We do all kinds of things: we look after the local hall, we run a number of events and projects. For example, we help disabled and elderly gardeners by providing them with gardening tools, compost and also physical help. A few years ago, we had a project where we’d give a prize to the person with the nicest front and back garden. We’ve also got some major funding to renovate the park by the estate, which includes a new play area.
There was also a football cage on the estate that wasn’t being used, so we got it re-tarmacked and fitted with new nets – now it’s a joy to see people of all generations using it.
We’re going to have a ‘trim trail’ exercise trail too. Next, we’re going to start a project called ‘Love Where You Live’ in partnership with the local primary school to tackle fly-tipping.