Friends of Canford Park
Following on from BCC's draconian budget cuts for 2018/19, their final policies and arrangements for our Parks are still swathed in non-commitments and possible changes as yet unspecified! One thing is certain - there will be less money for maintenance and probably none at all for new ventures, unless local communities raise the funds themselves. If local parents want more play equipment than exists at present and focused for older children, they will have to get busy with crowd funding or organise some local events - like we all did for the Village Hall in years gone by, to bring it to the magnificent state it now enjoys.
An update (April 2018) from WotSoc's Chairman, including a plea to local residents for support, can be seen here. The Gardening Group for Canford Park (CART - CAnford Restoration Team) is growing well and has recently held two sessions removing old roses and will be planting new arrivals at the end of May. Currently, there are a total of 24 on the list of volunteers but more are welcome! Please contact the Society via the "Contact Form" link, above.
The Friends of Canford Park currently come under the aegis of the Westbury-on-Trym Society. Historically, the Group was established c2010 because Bristol City Council made a great push to have Canford Park accorded Green Flag status and, therefore, to comply with the Council's Green Flag Application, there needed a to be a Friends Group.
Not only did there need to be a Friends Group, there also needed to be a formal Management Plan - which BCC produced and published in 2011. The Plan followed the format that BCC had previously adopted for Friends of Troopers Hill (as evidenced by the erroneous title-line on the back page!). The need for a Management Plan was outlined in the Plan's Introduction Page:
"The City Council is committed to raising the quality of Bristol's parks and open spaces to meet Green Flag standards. A key criterion is to have a 10 year management plan written for and agreed by, all parties with an interest in the future of individual parks. The preparation of management plans will assist in directing resources and investment to establish and maintain the required standards and to continuously improve them. Canford Park is no exception."
More information about Canford Park can be seen on the Council's website.
