Manor Park September Volunteer Morning

Sunday 27 September, 10.30am–1.30pm

Come and join us for our first weekend volunteer morning of the autumn as we spend a few hours caring for and improving Manor Park.

We’ll be getting stuck into a range of practical jobs around the park. The exact programme will depend on what needs doing at the time, but activities are likely to include things such as cutting back vegetation, woodland and pathway maintenance, spreading woodchip, building or repairing dead hedges, planting and litter-picking.

There’s no need for any previous experience and you don’t have to stay for the whole morning — come for an hour or join us for the full session. It’s a friendly, sociable way to spend some time outdoors, meet other local people and make a visible difference to the park.

Where to meet

We’ll meet on the grass by the park entrance next to the railway bridge.

What3Words: belt.turkey.yarn

What to bring

We’ll provide the tools and refreshments. Please wear sturdy footwear and clothes suitable for outdoor work — something you don’t mind getting muddy! If you have gardening gloves, you’re welcome to bring those too.

Children are very welcome but must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.

Everyone welcome

Our volunteer mornings are open to everyone. Whether you’re a regular volunteer or have never joined us before, we’d love to see you.

Sunday 27 September | 10.30am–1.30pm | Manor Park

Each summer Friends of Manor Park hosts a series of walks to encourage residents to engage with our natural and historical landscape. We’ve hunted bats in Six Acre Meadow, explored the Hogsmill River into Kingston, and on Thursday 18th July, for our final walk of the season, we headed over to Tolworth Court Farm. We were, as ever, very fortunate to have Elliot Newton, Kingston’s Biodiversity Officer, guiding us.

Tolworth Court Farm is Kingston’s largest nature reserve at approximately 100 acres. It’s a historic site which was last farmed in the 1960s and is recorded in the Doomsday book. It was the potential to become one of the best nature reserves in London.

Elliot is leading a project to re-wild the site, with the aim of raising the level of biodiversity, whilst ensuring it remains a place local people can enjoy. He spoke about new wetland features which will be created. Cows and sheep will use the site for grazing, as part of a process of mimicking natural processes (which would have occurred on the site before it was farmed), which will encourage a wider variety of flora and fauna.

The weather for our evening walk was amazing. The sun low in the sky gave the farmland a rich glow. We started our walk at the Moated Manor, a locked site on the other side of the road to the publicly accessible Tolworth Court Farm. Elliot gave us a talk in the barn space.

We then headed over the road and took a position on the raised earthworks that surround the farm. These were added in the 1990s to prevent vehicles entering the space, following a 5 day rave.

We then headed to area which will be made into wetland. Elliot gave his final talk here, and we headed for home via the Hogsmill.

If you’ve never been, we’d encourage you to explore this local treasure.

1# Hire the function hall – Manor Park Hall
Large newly decorated hall, run by local charity – Shiraz Mirza Trust – great for parties, functions, exercise classes, community groups, antique fairs etc More information

2# Book a tennis court
Hire one of 8 x high spec courts. These are managed by the tennis school. Book in advance or turn up and play. (Children under 16 play for FREE)
Booking – 07738 541797

3# Rent out a cricket or football pitch
We have two large senior football pitches (winter) and one cricket pitch (summer)
https://kingston.glendalelocal.co.uk/sports-venues

4# Join the Bowls Clubs
A vibrant social and sporting club. Open to all the community – very welcoming.
https://www.maldenmanorbc.co.uk/

5# Take part in an exercise class
Helen has been running low impact exercise courses on Mondays in the Manor Park Hall for the last 20+ years. Perfect for all ages. https://movesfitness.com/helen-williams/

6# Junior tennis lessons
The tennis school run coaching for the local community during term and holidays.
https://www.tennisavenue.co.uk/curriculum

7# Host a low-cost children’s parties
We have a well-equipped playground – a great space to bring a group of children and parents. We often see parents setting up gazebos and picnic blankets to use our free facilities for children’s parties.

8# Litter-picking
It’s your park. We encourage you to join our effort to keep it looking nice. Litter-picking is fun way to give something back. Just bring a bag, fill it, and put it in one of the many on-site bins. Why not take part in the coffee litterpicker offer from Hooky Street. Pick up a litter-picker and a bin bag from the coffee van, and return with a full bag, you’ll be presented with a free cup of coffee as a sign of appreciation.

9# Walking/Jogging circuits
We recently successfully submitted a bid for a new circular path in the front field. This creates the perfect setting for running or walking circuits.

10# Adult gym
Keeping on the fitness theme, we also have a newly installed gym. We have a mixture of machines and resistance type equipment. It’s been very popular locally.

We are delighted to announce the return of our park café.

Hooky Street Coffee Co are back in Manor Park over the summer, 10am-4pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You’ll find them beyond the playground by the bowls club – next to the hedge.

It’s wonderful to have them back again. There was a big campaign to ‘Save our park café’ after the council had asked them to leave for, frankly, bureaucratic reasons last September.

Working for you

The Friends of Manor Park have been working behind the scenes on your behalf for months to get the café reinstated.

Thank-you

We’d like to mention a few of the people who’ve helped along the way, particularly Deborah de Ronde who collected over 1,000 signatures in a massive local petition, which left the council in no doubt how the community felt. Thank-you to the
Malden Manor Bowling Club for making the new location viable – by offering power for the cafe. To Cllr Richard John Thorpe who worked with the leader of the council to help get the cafe reinstated. And last but not least, to Barry and the team at Hooky Street for being so patient with us all.

Community amenity

We hope the community will enjoy having the cafe back in the park over the summer and beyond. It’s such an important amenity – with residents using it to meet up and socialise with friends and family.

The café will be continuing over the autumn and winter with hours/days TBC.

Litterpicker coffee offer

Collect a litter-picker and bin-bag from the coffee shop, and when you return with a bag of litter, Hooky Street will give you a free coffee as your reward. Offer open until further notice.