Friends of Devonport Park, (FDP) Chair’s report - year ending March 31st 2021
Introduction:
It has been an interesting and unusual time since the last Chair’s report with the pandemic having a significant effect on activities in Devonport Park. While green spaces became more used and necessary for people, upkeep became more challenging for both council staff and Friends of Devonport Park, (FDP), volunteer gardeners. The high footfall in the park was noted by stakeholders and has hopefully underlined the importance to the city and communities of ensuring that the park is well maintained and accessible to everyone in the future.
Horticultural program:
The volunteer gardening project was initially put on hold during the early part of the pandemic. As guidelines changed, volunteers resumed gardening activities following strict health protocols to ensure their own and members of the public’s safety. Their contribution was all the more important given reduced staffing levels of council employees at the same time as usage of the park was growing noticeably. It is a tribute to the volunteers’ work and dedication that park looked as good as it did with the public often remarking on its beautiful appearance.
Projects delivered include…The continuation of our” Mayflower 400” commemoration program including the creation of a permanent horticultural memorial to the Pilgrims and celebrating “Mayflower”. The forward planning on the scheme to run workshops, for the local community, on the management and maintenance of the Fruiting Arboretum.
Events:
The pandemic effectively ended public events for the year, with a heavily curtailed program of activities including the cancellation of all our planned community events for the entire year. This naturally had a negative impact on fund raising for FDP and the park. We were also severely limited in our routine maintenance activities in the Park but, with limited resources, both material and in manpower, still managed to keep the park looking presentable.
Improvements:
A project to restore and increase the park’s tree canopy cover and create interest in a less used area, Ferry Field, came to fruition in Spring 2020, shortly before lockdown. Over 50 heritage fruit trees were planted together with structure and nurse species to create a Fruiting Arboretum. Planning for the project included collaboration with the local authority, Plymouth Tree Partnership, and Devon Garden Trust, and the planting was undertaken by members of the local community and local environmental groups, council staff and Babcock staff volunteers. The project also included the planting of two apple trees celebrating the Mayflower 400 anniversary, (Pilgrim 400 and Mayflower 400), planted by local MP, Luke Pollard, and the Pilgrim 400 apple tree project founder, Celia Steven. The arboretum has settled in well, though lack of council watering facilities resulted in a FDP member with a mini tractor and 1000L water tank watering frequently. The space has subsequently been better used with positive feedback from members of the public.
Funding:
Fund raising has been affected by the pandemic, with events being cancelled. Plant sales from stock in the FDP nursery have continued and we have received valuable support again from the Cooperative Local Community Fund.
Awards for All grants have enabled FDP to continue to retain its Kew trained horticulturist to lead the volunteer gardening project. It is of concern, however, that after a long period of austerity, declining council budgets and council re-organisations that sufficient maintenance of the park continues to be delivered. Relations with the council are currently in a good state, with outstanding maintenance commitments in an HLF grant, gradually being addressed.
James JM Brown, CMLI, Chair Friends of Devonport Park
Friends of Devonport Park, (FDP) Chair’s report - year ending March 31st 2021
Outreach:
Numbers of FDP members remain reasonably constant, although active participants on both the gardening project and the committee have declined recently. It is a point of concern and will require consideration and continued outreach to the community.
A committee member participated in council initiatives, Future Parks Accelerator and Enrich, the former focusing on
new and better ways of managing parks and the latter on community and social enterprise involvement in parks. Outcomes are not clear.
Governance:
The AGM for 2020 was originally due in April, but postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic, as it was not felt that it would be held successfully online. On-line committee meetings were held. Zoom meetings with the council took place, although progress from them was often slow due to conflicting priorities.
Plans : As previously noted, we intend to organize community workshops in the maintenance and care of the fruit trees. The unavailability of having new “memorials of Remembrance” in the existing Park Memorial Garden, has resulted in an increase in the number of requests regarding memorials to park users who have passed on. To address this issue, we are looking at creating a new Memorial Rose Garden.
It is intended to seek funding to replace the wooden fencing around the War Memorial Flower Beds, with metal railings, in keeping with the style of the existing railings in other areas of the park, thus meeting the requirements of the Heritage status of the park.
Summary
The last 18 months have shown and highlighted the importance of local parks and green spaces to people. The juxtaposition of this with a decline in public funding for parks is concerning. Volunteers, such as FDP, mask to some degree the maintenance shortfall from the council. There is no doubt that Devonport Park would not have looked so inviting, well cared for and safe, if it were not for the contribution of local volunteers. There is little practical acknowledgement of their work…to some degree it has become taken for granted. This is not sustainable, as participants age, move away, respond to different priorities. It takes considerable energy and time to ensure the successful and ongoing activity of a group such as FDP. It would be of assistance if there was a means of providing greater acknowledgement, practical assistance and support to enable re-investment in the social, environmental and financial benefits of a charity, like FDP, working to protect, maintain and enhance a public asset.
On behalf of the Committee of the Friends of Devonport Park,
James Brown, CMLI, Chair
*FDP’s Objects from the Constitution
James JM Brown, CMLI, Chair Friends of Devonport Park
Friends of Devonport Park, (FDP) Chair’s report - year ending March 31st 2021
The Friends of Devonport Park, (FDP), made a valuable contribution to the care, maintenance and improvement of Devonport Park. Its aim is to ensure an attractive, welcoming and interesting environment for the local community to enjoy. FDP’s volunteer activities include a gardening group, grant applications to fund park projects, and a series of free events which provide entertainment for park users and raise resources for the park. These activities on behalf of the park add value to social and wellbeing outcomes for the local communities.
In the context of budget cuts to local authority parks departments, FDP’s contribution to the park is all the more important and valuable. Plymouth City Council’s (PCC’s) Street Cleansing and Grounds Service department faces increasing challenges to deliver satisfactory maintenance to parks and green spaces. Devonport Park is protected to an extent by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s, (HLF), provisions in its renewal grant, that PCC honour pre-existing levels of maintenance until 2022. It is clear, however, that the voluntary sector is making a significant and noticeable input to the public realm, and FDP is concerned that this work should not mask a decline in maintenance standards or reduced services by the local authority, particularly during the HLF maintenance period.
may lead to negative impacts on park users and local residents, such as increases in antisocial behavior, crime rates and drug use, and diminished perceptions of neighbourhood safety, as evidenced in the 1980s/90s. It is conceivable Devonport Park could lose its Green Flag status if resources and maintenance standards are reduced.
FDP is aware of its own limited scope and resources, yet the scenario mentioned above makes FDP’s contribution to the park and its effect on the local community even more relevant and valuable. FDP is committed to and has for over a decade worked in partnership with local stakeholders to preserve and maintain the park through its volunteer activities - gardening, improvements, fundraising, and events for the enjoyment of local communities and visitors. This has made a positive contribution to the lives of local people and to the goodwill of the local community. Feedback received tends to confirm this. FDP’s sole aim and focus is to preserve the heritage park’s high quality, historic green space, and all its activities work to this end. FDP exists to help make Devonport Park a welcoming place in which people can enjoy nature, peace and heritage, can meet other people and participate in activities, and be part of a healthy, active and engaged community. We are aware of the mutual benefit between a well maintained, well used and active park and a resilient community with strong social ties, and consequently the importance of maintaining and caring for the park. It is hoped that all stakeholders, public, private and voluntary, will play their part and commit to achieving this end.
James JM Brown, CMLI, Chair Friends of Devonport Park
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Mrs C Gifford 92 Granby Street Devonport Plymouth PLI 4BN 9 January 2022 To Whom it may concern: Re: Friends of Devon ort Park. Re Chari No: 1155177 Having examined the financial records, as presented to me, of the above organisation for the financial year ending 31 March 2021,1 can confirm that the figures for each account correspond to those shown on the relevant bank statements and that I find no irregularities whatsoever. Yours Sincerely Christine Gifford (Mrs)