Friends of Highgate Park
The Friends of Highgate Park was set up in November 2005, as a result of the local communities concern over the condition and use of their local park. The group is dedicated to the improvement of the park, as it is a valuable resource for the community of Highgate for leisure and recreation and it is an important part of Birmingham’s local History. Highgate Park was purchased by Birmingham back in Victorian times and many of the local residents in Highgate have grown up enjoying its facilities and have very fond memories of the park.
The Friends of Highgate Park is made up from many local residents with an interest in the park, local businesses and organisations, as well as officers from Birmingham City Council from Community Safety, Parks Department and the Ladywood District. The group meets regularly once a month and has proved very successful with a membership list of over 30 members. They have met regularly on a monthly basis since November 2005 and have been looking at the issues affecting Highgate Park and what they can do to help combat them.
Aims & Objectives
- To represent people of all creeds, cultures and disabilities, as far as reasonably possible.
- To promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical, natural and social environment of Highgate Park and its immediate surrounding community.
- To provide and develop, in co-operation with Birmingham City Council, opportunities for the promotion of improved social welfare, recreation and leisure within Highgate Park, which will improve the quality of life for local residents and will encourage use of such facilities by all sectors of the local community.
- To advance education in order to promote ways of conserving, protecting and improving the physical, natural and social environment of Highgate Park.
- To co-operate with other statutory, private sector or voluntary bodies in the achievement of the above aims.
- To provide representative opportunities for the youth and disadvantaged people.
Consultation & Park Improvements
The main task of the group so far has been to organise and run a full community consultation exercise on Highgate Park, to help them look at what improvements the community would like to see in the park. Two questionnaires were drawn up for adults and children and these were passed around the local schools in the area for the children and young people to have their say and to places of public access for the local community, where over 200 questionnaires were completed.
The group also organised a community consultation fun day held at Calthorpe School, with a model of Highgate Park as the centre piece, back in March. The model of the park was painted up by local young children from Calthorpe Specialist School on a polystyrene board, so that flags with ideas and suggestions for the future of the park could be stuck in to it. The day proved to be a great success with over 220 people attending.
The results from the consultation exercise were then analysed and a full landscape plan has been drawn up showing the posed improvements to Highgate Park, from the community’s suggestions, which has been circulated around the community for further comments. This report and plan will now be used to attract external funding to start renovating Highgate Park, for the enjoyment of the whole community.
The community of Highgate greatly value their park, as it is a key location and an essential part of Highgate's infrastructure. Many of the local community have grown up in the area and have memories of taking their children to the park and playing in it as a child themselves.
The park has always held an important heritage to the community, as advertised in the Aris's Birmingham Gazette on the opening day in June 1876 "One of those 'lungs' or free and open spaces, so essential not only to ourselves, but more especially to coming generations."
The Friends of Highgate Park meet monthly, to work in partnership with Birmingham City Council Parks Department and the Ladywood District to help make these visions of the park a reality, through funding bids and continued work with the local schools and community. The group is open for anyone with an interest in the park to join and for further details, please contact Sarah Royal at CSV Environment on 322 2058.
Contact Information
Phone: 0121 464 7810 or 322 2058
Email:
sarah@csvenvironment.org.uk
postal address: Rm109, Magnolia House, 73
Conybere Street, Highgate, B12 0YL