Friends of Hedgemead Park

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Achievements

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The Friends of Hedgemead Park (HPF) are proud to have facilitated or achieved many good things since we formed in 2019. Here are some highlights recorded over the last two years

  • Oct 2023. Our gardening group planted c.200 Daffodil bulbs in the beds behind the park’s bandstand.
  • Aug-Dec 2023. After liaising with the Parks Dept for over two years, the Council’s contractors carried out repair work to two of the park’s Grade 2-listed structures: the Victorian bastion tower and the gate and railings at the Margaret’s Hill entrance, damaged when a large tree fell in Oct 2021.
  • Jul 2023. Hedgemead Park was awarded a Green Flag Award for the fifth year running.
  • Jul 2023. Joint gardening session with volunteers from Bath in Bloom and their sponsors, Mogers Drewett. Team consisted of 14 volunteers in total.
  • Jun 2023. HPF were gifted a grant of £130 by Bath in Bloom for the purchase of a cordless strimmer, which is being used for light duty maintenance of our wildflower meadow, roundels and path edges.
  • Feb 2023. Organised by the Council’s Parks Ranger and Your Park, we hosted a hurdle-making workshop in the park, using Hazel and Willow harvested locally.
  • Nov 2022-Feb 2023. Hosted our first student volunteer as part of their DoE Bronze Award activity. Other students have since joined us in a similar capacity.
  • Nov-Dec 2022. Published a Merchandise page on our web site to support sale of items which help fund our activities. Examples include wooden artefacts crafted from the park’s recently fallen Holm Oak and an annual wall calendar featuring scenes from Hedgemead Park throughout the seasons.
  • Nov 2022. Engaged with Your Park Bristol & Bath’s initial launch of its ‘Parks 4 All’ initiative. Based on original YPBB research, it seeks to find ways to improve the experience for disabled people and their unpaid carers when using parks. The initiative will continue throughout 2023-24.
  • Aug 2022. Hedgemead Park was awarded a Green Flag Award for the fourth year running.
  • Jul 2022. HPF was awarded a grant by Quartet Community Foundation from the Wessex Water Environment Fund to improve the environmental impact of HPF’s gardening activities. The project was completed in Jan 2023 (see our Case Study).
  • May-Jun 2022. To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Friends’ decorated the park’s Victorian bandstand with the Queen’s official emblem and embellished it with regal purple and cream drapes, and green foliage gathered from the park and surrounding area.
  • Apr-Oct 2022. Increased HPF membership from 45 (39 individuals, 6 groups in the previous year) to 80 (72 individuals, 8 groups).
  • Mar 2022. Began the takeover and re-development of the former Vegmead community garden. Plan agreed with Parks Dept for a low maintenance, mixed planted circular bed bisected with grassy path.
  • Jan-Oct 2022. Maintained ‘go-between’ role between Wessex Water and Parks Dept to investigate the feasibility of installing a standpipe to deliver an in-park supply of water for horticultural purposes.
  • Jan 2022. HPF won an award at the Your Park Bristol & Bath annual ‘Oscars’ ceremony. The  award was in the ‘Community Impact – TLC’ category, recognising outstanding contributions to the care of parks and open spaces in and around Bristol and Bath.