A brief History of the Friends of Harold Wood Parks

September 27th, 2005:
• Public meeting called by local Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team, following repeated complaints from local people that the play equipment in the 2 local parks was unable to be used because of vandalism.
• Attended by more than 100 people, police officers and 2 councillors - one from Ward, one from outside.
• Much anger voiced because of the state of the play equipment, vandalism and graffiti in the area, youths in parks at weekends on motor bikes, fear of youths hanging about round the Station Road Co-op store and complaints that the local elected councillors did not respond to phone calls.
• Meeting wished a follow-up meeting to be convened with the purpose of setting up a ‘Friends of the Park’ group.

October 18th, 2005:
• Meeting attended by over 40 people and briefly by PC Mark Fallon, to give out sheets with useful phone contact numbers.
• Ideas listed of what people wanted.
• Steering committee formed from volunteers.


November 3rd, 2005:
• First meeting held at Methodist Church, Harold Wood. Officers elected.
• Decided that the name should be ‘Friends of Harold Wood Parks’ to embrace Painesbrook and Guys Field.
• Meeting attended by 11 people
• Group shown 2 photograph albums with pictures taken by Pamela Coles of the current state of both parks. This is intended to be the base of an ongoing record.
• Group encouraged by report of Ian Selby on ‘Cottons Park Friends’ group.
• Geoff Pepper spoke of his supportive role and gave the good news that £60,000 was available for new play equipment in Harold Wood Park. A Consultation day would be organised when local people would be able to vote on plans short-listed after designs had been tendered.

November 10th, 2005:
• A group from the ‘Friends’ had been able to meet with Geoff Pepper and Don Stewart (Interim Project Manager) at the playsite in H W Park to discuss future site and equipment. To maximise funding for equipment it had been agreed to retain the existing site. As the climbing frame in the centre of the site was so loved by children and was still sound, GP offered to investigate whether this could be retained, with improved drainage beneath it. The rest of the equipment would be replaced.
• A bank account was being set-up at NatWest, Harold Hill.

November 16th, 2005: Brief actions listed below:
• PC to ask GP if our group can have a notice board in our parks, to keep people informed of activities and events.
• PC to ask GP what the £25, 000 allocated to Painesbrook will be used for.
• PC to chase Mark Lambkin, if he failed to get in touch, following the police meeting on October 26th.

December 7th, 2005:
• Meeting held at Redden Court School by invitation of Head Teacher.
• A Constitution had been drafted by Jonathan Coles and submitted to the meeting. This was accepted and signed, following amendments.

December 10th, 2005:
Consultation Day held at the Ingrebourne Centre in Harold Wood. Geoff Pepper and James Rose in attendance. Members of the Friends group on duty all day to give information about the group and the background to the day. Almost 150 people voted and the plans submitted by Wicksteed were chosen.

January 10th, 2006:
• Meeting at R Court; results of Consultation Day reported.
• Various ideas for a calendar of events put forward:

February/March 2006:

Painting Competition for under-12s, with a winner at each local school. Tesco vouchers were possible prizes. The overall winner could have his/her poster on display, which would help us to advertise what we are doing. If it could be organised in time, if not, for future years,

March/April: The opening of the new playsite.

April: We already had the Nature Trail arranged for 12th.

June - July: Opening of the new play area at Painesbrook.

September: Bulb-planting in H W Park. Geoff Pepper was supplying the bulbs via LBH and the hope was that each pupil from H W Primary would be able to be brought to the park, maybe class by class, under supervision, to plant individual bulbs.

February 8th, 2006:

• Editorial Committee to produce Newsletter. Local schools would circulate this and copies would go to local Churches, the Neighbourhood Centre, the Library and local shops.
• Quiz Night arranged - Pamela Coles would run this. Harold Court School had been offered as a venue.
• Decided to invite anyone interested to become a life member for £1.

March 7th, 2006:
• First AGM held at the Neighbourhood Centre, courtesy of Brian Eagling, who took the Chair temporarily while officers were elected. (All elected unopposed).
• 1,500 Newsletters had been distributed and all had gone within a week!

March 10th, 2006:
• Quiz Night held. 13 tables, excellent response from local shops with publicity and raffle prizes, greatly appreciated cooperation from HT at Harold Court - £650plus raised!

Nature Trail due in H W Park on April 12th organised by Geoff Pepper with the Essex Wildlife Trust.

Since then the ‘Wacky about Wildlife’ day has been held and was a success, more are planned.

June 16th saw the official opening of the installation of the new play equipment in H W Park playground.

The tennis courts are in the process of being completely re-furbished, with new fencing, surfacing and nets. The 4th court is being redesigned as a multi-ball court, with a half-pipe for BMX bikes and skateboards. A teenage shelter is planned for nearby, with a second shelter in the playground.

A Sensory Garden has been under discussion and a site visit held but this is on hold at the moment.
We have applied for lottery funding, under the BBC’s ‘Breathing Places’ scheme, to adopt the area behind the playground as a conservation area.

On August Bank Holiday Monday we will host a Fun Day, jointly with the Sports Clubs that meet in H W Park.

We are still striving to get improvements made at Painesbrook Park and hope to learn shortly that the Council has allocated funding for refurbishments there.

We are also in the process of setting up a ParkWatch scheme in both parks.