Hanley Park Friends of meeting
Saturday the 19th of May 2012
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Present
Amanda Bickerton
Stoke On Trent City Council
Pauline Withington
Stoke On Trent City Council
Emma Moseley
Stoke On Trent College students union
Ken Smith
Carol Ware
Sylvia Hill
Closer to home circular walks
Lucy Slater
Stoke Police
Howard Mason
Park Church
Gerry Bennett-Smith
Member
Brenda Bennett-Smith Member
Mercy Wallace
Member
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Apologies
Penny Vincent
Robert Burns
Les Eyres
Pat Whitehouse
Tommy Hill
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Co-secretary
Co-chair
Stoke On Trent City Council
Member
Treasurer
Notes of the last meeting
Agreed
Notes
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Action
Finance and funding
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Community first funding-Mercy has uploaded the application form.
Applicants need to go to the “how to apply” and follow the drop down menu
to access the form, guidance notes are on line.
Carol is to contact Carol Bagnall to identify any local groups that may be able
to apply for funding.
Pauline asked if it was just local groups that could apply or groups that were
working in the local area, Carol said that as long as the group worked in the
local area they could apply.
HLF funding update-Pauline explained that Robin Belcher the Project
Manager working for the City Council was working on the 1st stage
application for HLF and this should be submitted by the end of September. A
project development team has been set up which looks at a number of areas
including the conservation, management, future staffing structure, audience
and future use of the park. A representative from the Friends of Hanley Park
would be invited to come along to these meetings in the future along with
other organisations, but at the moment the bid process mainly involved
organisational issues such as finance.
Pauline and Amanda’s role over the next few months would involve
community engagement and a consultation process involving getting visitor
numbers and demographic information which is essential for the HLF bid.
Pauline explained that the first part of the process was to conduct visitor
surveys; this would take place over 3 full days. The days needed to include a
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week day, weekend and school holiday surveys would be conducted
between the hours of 7 am- 7pm. Amanda said that any help the friends
could offer would be gratefully received. Training would be given to any
willing volunteers. Amanda would email a list of the days to the members;
members could volunteer an hour upwards of their time. Howard offered to
supply refreshments to any volunteers taking part in the surveys.
Emma said that some of the students may be able to help as long as it was
before the end of July. Pauline said that as the consultation needed to be
complete by July this would be very helpful.
Pauline explained that the future use of the park building would also be
considered as part of the HLF bid. Short term The city councils estates
services were looking at how the buildings could be utilised.
Carol asked how many staff worked in Burslem Park, Amanda said that there
were 6 including 2 apprentices and future staffing numbers for Hanley Park
would be considered as part of the HLF bid.
Amanda gave a brief outline of the nationally recognised Green Flag award
and explained if the Hanley Park HLF bid were successful, Hanley Park would
be put forward for green flag as part of the conditions HLF. Green Flag
looked at not only the maintenance aspects of the park but also the
community involvement form groups such as the friends group.
Co-op – The proposed bid for the community garden will be discussed at the
next funding task group meeting. Pauline to arrange another funding task
group meeting.
Community Garden- Carol and Amanda have been working on a basic
funding brief for the proposed community garden. Carol has done some
planting lists and outlined how the garden needed to be split into sections
with some ideas for different areas such as a meadow area, hedgerow
section and some marginal and bog plants for the wet areas. There were also
areas that could be used for den areas for children and sections that could
be used for wildlife.
Pauline said that volunteers would be needed and Carol suggested
community pay back and the youth offending team.
Amanda passed around an example education pack for the wildlife garden
that could be used to involve the schools in the local area.
Carol has approached Aldi about having old plant stock that the group could
sell, she has written a letter to the store manager but hopes to start
receiving plants soon that can be sold to raise funds for the group.
Nature Trail- Dave Butler (SOTCC) is still working on the proposed route for
the nature trail with the suggestion that the trail starts and finishes in the
community garden.
Publicity
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Website – This is now up and running, Pauline suggested that the group
needed to make the most of it. Emma Moseley to link the website to Stoke
College website.
Logo –Pauline advised that the logo had now been approved and she would
email the version to all the members.
Community radio – Pauline outlined how the City council are conducting
walk about with 6 towns radio discussing topics like history and heritage in
parks such as Burslem and Tunstall. Pauline may want volunteers to help
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with the walk about in Hanley Park so if anyone is interested they should let
Pauline know.
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Practical issues and park updates
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Amanda advised that the broken fence highlighted on the park walk about
had now been removed.
The boathouse along with other buildings was currently being assessed by
estate services for future use.
Amanda advised that the steps would be receiving temporary repairs due to
health and safety issues, although long term it was hoped that a full repair
would be included in the HLF bid.
Amanda advised that after discussing the band stand with Robin Belcher it
would not be painted until discussions had taken place with the City Councils
conservation officer. There were also health and safety issues to consider.
The lodge is now open and can be used for meetings. Lucy from the police
said that she would speak to her sergeant to see if they would continue
using the building for their police workshops. Carol asked if the allotments
group could use the lodge for their meetings, Pauline said she would find out
if the group would be insured.
Pauline is looking at a funding bid to improve the top toilet block, and with
the view to putting a cafe and kiosk in the building. Pauline will be meeting
with the conservation officer to find out if this will be a possibility.
Lucy from the police explained that there were issues with youths gathering
under the undercover areas outside the top and bottom toilets. Carol said
that she had smelt cannabis when walking through the park but had not
reported it to the police. Lucy explained the cannabis warning system to the
group and how the police were patrolling the park at the moment. She also
said that the police were trying to get sniffer dogs into the park to help with
the cannabis problem. She asked if the group had any issues they should
report them to the police.
Gerry asked if the bottom car park was still an area used by drug dealers,
Lucy advised that they had no new reports.
Events
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Events update – Pauline asked if anyone knew the progress of the planned
June event. She outlined her concerns that none of the group knew any of
the plans for the event. Amanda explained that at the last event Debbie and
her husband had worked extremely hard but there were very few volunteers
that turned up to help and suggested that more help was needed at the next
event. Also because the group had used the Uni Q gazebo for the event it
appeared to be a Uni Q event and not a friends of event, Pauline advised
that Elise from closer to home walks had suggested using the funding she
had received for a marquee the friends could use. The group agreed to speak
to Penny about the June events progress. Pauline also explained that the
Friends of group currently didn’t have their own insurance and this needed
to be addressed .The group agreed that a more cohesive approach needed
to be taken in planning the next event.
Olympic Torch event – Pauline advised that from the 28th of May the top car
park would be closed to the public due to the Olympic event, there was also
a possibility that the pedestrian gates off Park Way and Ridgway road may
also be closed. Pauline outlined that the Olympic torch event started at
5.30pm and would finish at 7.30pm, from 2.30pm until 4.30pm there would
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Any other business
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be other activities and a children’s parade in the bandstand area. Lucy from
the police told the group about the parade and torch route and said that the
police would be mainly assisting with road closures on the day.
2012 Live event- This event will be organised by Signal Radio and managed
by HSL event organisers. Stoke on Trent City Council will have very little
involvement in the organisation of this event due to the Olympic Torch.
Pauline explained that vinyl banners had been commissioned by the City
council that would wrap the pavilion building for the Olympic Torch Event.
Contact details and how to join the Friends of group would form part of the
banners.
Date of next meeting
16th of June – to be reviewed( same date as 2012 live event)
10 Future meetings
21st of July
18th of August
15th of September
20th of October
17th of November
15th of December