Support our work to protect and improve Manor Park
More companies and organizations are seeing the benefit of getting involved in local community initiatives. Companies now recognise their responsibility to give something back, and they also see the benefit such involvement can have for staff morale. There’s also no ignoring the very positive PR message this can send out.
Manor Park
Manor Park is the second largest park in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. It boasts a mixture of sporting and play facilities, set in 25 acres of attractive parkland. It’s a valuable asset for the local community, but sadly with cuts to local authority budgets, the quality of our park is under threat. That is why the community group, Friends of Manor Park, would love to speak with any company or organisation, large or small, who’d like to get involved in some way.
What we’re working on:
- Improving play facilities – better quality play equipment both inside and outside of the traditional playground area, more for older and much younger children, and more to make parents/carers feel welcome.
- Doing more with sports and fitness in the park – we’d like have a multi-purpose court (basketball and five-a-side, an all weather play surface, outdoor table tennis), trim-trail, and jogging circuit. We’d also like to involve local football clubs and sporting associations.
- Improvement of the natural environment – planting more trees, bulbs, wild-flowering meadows, restoration and creation of paths, woodland maintenance, and creating some new more cultivated areas.
- Improving the pathways – adding new paths and upgrading existing ones – essential for accessibility. Carrying on with the good work started by Cllr Howard Jones – Howard’s Path.
- Dealing with anti-social behaviour – support with extra security measures.
So how could you get involved with these initiatives?
There are a number of ways you might like to get involved – from direct financial support, to provision of the services you normally offer as a business, or letting staff have time-off to work for a day/afternoon to come and do some work in the park.
Provision of services – your company may be able to provide services instead or as part of its involvement – so for example if you run a landscaping business there’s plenty of opportunity to get involved with our work on paths. If you run a legal company we’d love some support with our work to regain a legal right-of-way, or helping us convert to a charity.
Provision of labour – we see great value in people actually working in the park to improve the natural environment. It may be that your team could spare a day now and then. If this is the case we can definitely find an activity for you.
Help with our events – you may be able to provide printing services to help us promote an event, or refreshments for one of our volunteer work-days.
We’re sure that you’ll be able to think of lots of ways you can help that we haven’t even considered.
It is worth stressing we will put in place ways to ensure any involvement receives the recognition that it deserves – ranging from local PR and social media, to mention on our website, and in some cases signage in the park.
Please do get in touch for a chat.
Simeon Linstead, Chair, Friends of Manor Park, team@ourmanorpark.org.uk