Latest news
Tree planting volunteer day
You are invited to be part of the Friends of Queen’s Park volunteer force supporting the Cityparks team planting the first phase of trees purchased with the funds awarded to us as a result of our successful bid to the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund.
Where: Open Bakery, 1 West Drive, Brighton BN2 0GD
When: 09:30 am
Until: Approximately 2:30 pm
Clothing advice: Waterproofs and hats in case of rain; Wellington or stout boots (if possible with steel toe caps)
Refreshments: The Friends of Queen’s Park will be supplying hot drinks
The planting will include a replacement for the Peace Tree cherry, which, sadly, has died. The tree forms the focal point each year for a ceremony commemorating victims of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6th August 1945.
The new one will be planted close to original tree. The old plaque at the base of the old cherry tree will be re-sited at a later date.
Joint funding for Queen’s Park defibrillator
The Friends of Queen’s Park have joined forces with the Queen’s Park Tennis Club to purchase a debribrillator.
The life-saving equipment is to be fixed to the exterior wall of the tennis clubhouse and first aid and training sessions in its use will be announced once the installation has been completed.
Queen’s Park Tennis Club social membership is now available
Supporters of the Friends of Queen’s Park can now enjoy social membership of Queen’s Park Tennis club.
Social membership will entitle you to use the club’s bar and facilities, as well as getting a discount should you wish to hire the clubhouse for an event.
If you wish to register as a social member of the club click HERE.
Love trees but don’t know what you are looking at?
Register to receive your free tree identification guide to help you learn about trees and connect with the nature around you! Friends of Queen’s Park is supporting the charities, Field Studies Council and Trees for Cities, to connect people to their leafy surroundings by supplying thousands of free ID trees guides from January 2022. These guides are available exclusively for residents living in Brighton and Hove and its surrounding areas.
Register by 10th January 2022 to receive your first free guide by post later that month. Availability is limited and will be sent out on a first-come-first-served basis. Register HERE
Funds to plant trees won by Friends of Queen’s Park
The Friends of Queen’s Park (FoQP) has won funding from the Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) to plant more trees in the park.
The fund, which is administered by the Forestry Commission, is worth a little under £14,300 and will be used to purchase 24 species including beech, birch, cherry, elm, hazel, mulberry and redwood.
The two year project will start with the first phase of planting on Saturday 5th February 2022. The terms of the bid*, lead by FoQP Secretary Caroline Burnard and supported by Cityparks, are that the UTCF cash are to be match-funded with volunteer input to maintain and care for the trees. The bid also included local schools in the on-going tree maintenance.
Anyone wishing to volunteer to support the Cityparks tree planing team on 5th February, please register your interest HERE.
*FoQP supported Craven Vale Association win funding for 10 walnut trees in the same bid
Carols in the Park returns
The first Carols in the Park since lockdown restrictions were lifted will return on Friday, 3rd December at the Royal Spa School, Queen’s Park.
With the Salvation Army brass band providing the music, the Carols kick off at 6.30pm. Mulled wine and traditional mince pies will be served.
Those attending are urged to bring their own mugs and torches. All proceeds raised will go towards the maintenance of the Park.
Go paperless!
CAROL SHEET: please click on this link and share with friends
Volunteer day – Sunday 17th October
Another volunteer day will take place on Sunday, 17th October from 11 am till 1 pm. Volunteers are asked to come to the pond. Our Park Ranger and the chair of the Friends of Queen’s Park will be leading the activities.
The main work will focus on the pond, but there will be a number of other volunteering opportunities on the day.
Playground makeover to begin – have your say
Photograph of Queen’s Park playground courtesy Brighton and Hove News
The start of the Queen’s Park playground revamp is about to get underway shortly, but, before it does the community will be given a chance to have its say about what it would like to see.
Brighton & Hove City Council allocated £146,000 for the refurbishment at the start of the year and on Tuesday, 28th September two officers will be visiting the playground between 2pm and 4pm to start taking soundings from parents, carers and children about what they would like to see in the space. The funds earmarked for the project will be used for a phase one development with a future phase possible subject to a fundraising drive by members of Friends of Queens Park with support from City Parks officers.
Caroline Burnard and Jerome Hansen, two members of the Friends of Queen’s Park’s sub-committee, who are spearheading the oversight of the playground transformation, will also be on hand alongside the Council Officers.
Commenting Caroline said: “This is only the start of the consultation process. The Council’s consultation portal will be activated shortly and this will provide more members of the local community to have their say on how it would like to see the playground developed. The Friends of Queen’s Park will be publicising the link to the consultation as soon as it goes live.
“In the meantime, the Friends group have emphasised to the Council that, while it recognises the financial constraints and the need to minimise on-going maintenance costs, it hopes to see the use of natural materials wherever possible, using colours that blend with the surroundings of our Grade II Listed Park.”
First volunteer days since COVID lockdown announced
Volunteering in parks in Brighton & Hove has been put on hold during lockdown. Now the Government has issued new guidance which has allowed the City Council to restart volunteering in Queen’s Park.
There are still some restrictions in place though. Volunteer groups of no more than 30 can come together and they must be supervised by a trained volunteer leader, or by our local Park Ranger.
The first volunteer day will take place on Sunday, 11th July and will be led by park ranger Lindsay Catternach, who asked that volunteers come to the pond by 11 am. it will probably last for two or three hours.
The second volunteer day will take place on Sunday, 8th August kicking off at 11 am with the pond being the assembly point again.
FoQP secretary runs for good cause
Friends of Queen’s Park Secretary, Caroline Burnard (pictured), has just run a half Marathon in support of Managing Autism Spectrum Ourselves Together (mASCot), a local charity that is parent led and provides a peer-to-peer support network for parents with an autistic child, children or young person in their family.
She aimed to raise £500 by running the 13.1 mile course, but has passed the £800 mark. Now she wants to press on and has set herself an ambitious target of raising £1,000.
“mASCot is such a brilliant organisation. It has certainly helped my family and I hope that the funds I raise will enable it to provide more peer-to-peer support for other families in Brighton and Hove.”
To donate to Caroline’s fundraiser for mASCot click HERE.