If you go down to the woods today…

…. or rather Mountsfield Park’s Community Garden on Sunday 21 May 2017 from 12pm, you and your teddy bear will find lots of treats!

Friends of Mountsfield Park are once again hosting a Teddy Bears’ Picnic as part of the Hither Green Festival week –  join us for:

• Music with Singalong Sally
• Forest School taster sessions with James from Forries Education
• Messy play and children’s craft with Messy Shed – dress for mess!
• Park Explorer Trail with Izzy
• Jenni’s Truly Splendid Popup Tea Room
• Pizza
• Unfortunately we will not have the Park Fever bar this year at Teddy Bears’ Picnic because of a mix-up with the event’s alcohol licence. You are welcome to bring your own craft beer with you!

We’re looking forward to meeting you and your furry friend!

Please support our Spacehive campaign for fox proof litter bins at Mountsfield Park

Please support our Spacehive funding campaign for fox proof litter bins at Mountsfield Park. We want to make Mountsfield Park more welcoming and beautiful. Unfortunately foxes empty our old open style bins at night making Mountsfield Park untidy and unwelcoming. The Mountsfield Park urban foxes are naturally curious creatures, they investigate the bins looking for junk food and used nappies to use in their dens; unfortunately they don’t clear up after themselves. This means that in a public place, that only has the services of a park-keeper two days per week, litter, old food and bags of dog poo can be left strewn across the grass. This is not only unsightly but also a health hazard, especially to small children and also pet dogs.

Dog dangerously out of control at Mountsfield Park Wednesday 26/04/17 at 2.30pm

A staff type dog (dark tan colour) was dangerously out of control at Mountsfield Park 2.30pm, Wednesday 26 April  –  another dog and victim were bitten. If you know anything about the incident please contact RusheyGreen.SNT@met.pnn.police.uk or Lewisham Police Tel: 0208 284 5128 / 0208 721 2479.

Friends of Mountsfield Park AGM 2017

Friends of Mountsfield Park meeting (AGM) 2017 10am to 11.30am on Sunday 23 April 2017 at the Station pub on Staplehurst Road.

Please read the attached Annual Report which provides a summary of activity since the last AGM (and before).  Please also find nomination forms for those seeking election to the Friends executive. Forms must be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 21 April 2017 to mountsfieldpark@gmail.com

If you can’t make the AGM but want to be involved in FOMP, please do get in touch – there are lots of ways in which you can help out and we would be grateful for any support you can offer.

FOMP ANNUAL REPORT 2017

AGM MEETING MINUTES 2017

 

 

Please support the Friends of Mountsfield Park funding campaign for fox proof litter bins:

https://www.spacehive.com/mountsfieldpark

Shape the vision of Catford Town Centre

Shape the vision of Catford Town Centre

If you live, work, shop, socialise, commute or run a business in the area Lewisham Council want to know your views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://catfordtowncentre.commonplace.is/comments

 

Please support the Friends of Mountsfield Park funding campaign for fox proof litter bins:

https://www.spacehive.com/mountsfieldpark

Thanks to the Thomas Tallis School D of E Award volunteers for planting trees at Mountsfield Park

Thanks to the Thomas Tallis School Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteers and FoMP for planting trees at Mountsfield Park this winter. The trees were generously donated by Woodland Trust, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), #idigtrees and @OVOEnergy. We planted hundreds of oak, hawthorn, birch, alder, rowan, hornbeam, willow, poplar…

D of E Award volunteers from Thomas Tallis School at Mountsfield Park, Catford SE6

D of E Award volunteers from Thomas Tallis School planting trees at Mountsfield Park, Catford SE6

D of E Award volunteers from Thomas Tallis School planting trees at Mountsfield Park, near to Mountfield Close

D of E Award volunteers from Thomas Tallis School planting TCV/ @OVOEnergy fruit trees at Mountsfield Park community gardens

UK parks face threat of decline with severe consequences !

Lewisham Green Spaces Forum (formerly Lewisham Parks Forum)

11 February 2017

“The Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee report on public parks warns that parks are at a tipping point and face a period of decline with potentially severe consequences unless their vital contribution to areas such as public health, community integration and climate change mitigation is recognised.

• View the interactive report summary
• Read the full report: Public parks

Councils should publish strategic plans

The Public parks report highlights considerable challenges for the sector including reduced council spending, with parks management budgets cut by up to 97 per cent, the need for parks to compete with other services for funding, and planning policy not giving them enough weight, particularly as a result of pressures to increase housing supply.

The Committee call on councils to publish strategic plans, which recognise the value of parks beyond leisure and recreation and set out how they will be managed to maximise their contribution to wider…

View original post 553 more words

New Trim Trail at Mountsfield Park, Catford SE6

Thanks to @GlendaleLew, the London Marathon Charitable  Trust, Lewisham Rushey Green Assembly and @FenlandLeisureP for our new trim trail at Mountsfield Park, Catford.

 

 

 

Recycled Christmas Trees being turned into mulch at Mountsfield Park

Steve Langley from Glendale recycling Christmas trees at Mountsfield Park. The recycled Christmas trees will be used as mulch on the flower beds and at the base of each fruit tree at Mountsfield Park community garden.

New Trim Trail at Mountsfield Park

 

 

 

 

 

@FenlandLeisureP installing the new timber trim trail equipment at Mountsfield Park. Thanks to Lewisham Rushey Green Assembly for part funding the equipment and Judith from Glendale for fundraising £15,000 from the London Marathon Trust!

Winter 2016 FOMP Newsletter

The cafe! The trim trail! Christmas! Volunteering opportunities! Fox-proof bins! Accessible picnic benches!

It’s all go at Mountsfield Park.  Read all about it here…

winter-16-newsletter-copy

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

So lets be honest, 2016 has been a strange old year…

But it’s Christmas! And never ones to waste an opportunity to eat, drink, and be merry, we at FOMP will be throwing our annual Carols in the Park event at 2pm on Saturday December 17th 2016.

There will be music, mince pies, and mulled wine, and the chance to spend a magical afternoon with friends and neighbours.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

 

“Let’s work together, be ambitious and get some new pitches in Lewisham…”

Cllr James Walsh – Rushey Green Ward “Let’s work together, be ambitious and get some new pitches in Lewisham…”

 

⚽️Let's work together, be ambitious and get some new pitches in Lewisham…. pic.twitter.com/wg0uRfUYLp

— 🕸 James-J Walsh 🎃 (@JamesJWalsh) October 28, 2016

FoMP Bid at Rushey Green Assembly 7pm Wednesday 26 October 2016, Irish Centre, Davenport Road

Please support the Friends of Mountsfield Park bid at Rushey Green Assembly for wheelchair accessible picnic benches and gates at our community garden at the at Rushey Green Assembly, 7pm Wednesday 26 October 2016, Irish Centre, Davenport Road.

Friends of Mountsfield Park Meeting Monday 24 October 2016 Hither Green Baptist Church

Next Friends of Mountsfield Park Meeting Monday 24 October 2016, Hither Green Baptist Church, 7-8pm Theodore Rd, London SE13 6HT.
All welcome!

Please Download the FixMyStreet mobile phone app and report litter, fly-tipping, dog litter etc. that you see in the park that you want removed ( Android / Apple)

If you see any problems at Mountsfield Park contact Glendale 0208 318 3986 or speak to the park keeper on Mondays and Saturdays

Mountsfield Park Footpath Repair – Message from Glendale

If you see any problems at Mountsfield Park contact Glendale 0208 318 3986

Just a quick note to let you know we will be starting the footpath works this week in Mountsfield Park.
We will be starting around the back of the community garden by the Lodge gate and go from there.
I will put some notices up on the gates today advising of works and the need to shut either gate along Stainton Road at some point during the works.

Mountsfield Park Cafe and Toilets – we have until 3 August 2016 to make a difference!

We want a cafe in Mountsfield Park. We have been campaigning for a cafe for years, and have been promised one by Lewisham Council – including as part of the Council redevelopment of the park that created the Community Garden and revamped the play area. But the Council were unable to follow through on their plan to build a cafe at that time. Since then, we have worked with them to identify some funding – £50k – to launch a tender process to encourage an outside investor to build a cafe in the park.

A viable and attractive cafe plan is in front of Lewisham Council for approval right now – made by a local businessman who has worked closely with the Friends of Mountsfield Park. You can see the plans and some pictures of the new cafe here.

But the planning department at the Council is making unreasonable demands:

• they are demanding that the new design have a ‘biodiverse living roof’ to replace what they claim is a living roof on the existing, abandoned container units. In fact, the current ‘living roof’ is around a dozen unmaintained planters. We have offered to move these and add them to the Community Garden, so there is no loss of natural habitat, but the Council says this isn’t good enough.
• they are demanding that the new design meet the ‘BREEAM’ environmental rating of ‘exellent’, even though the Council was prepared to waive this requirement for the cafe they planned to build in Mountsfield Park! In other words, had the Council actually managed to deliver the cafe they promised in 2014, we would now have a cafe that didn’t meet these very high standards. The current proposal meets the ‘BREEAM’ environmental rating of ‘good’ with an aim to achieve ‘very good’. This means the current plans exceed mandatory standards by some margin.

If Lewisham Council turns down the current proposal – for what we think are spurious reasons – it could be years before another option is available and the money we fought to get the Council to commit to support the project – £50k – will be at risk.

We want the Council to take an intelligent approach, to look at the benefits a cafe would bring to Mountsfield Park: it will bring in revenue, encourage people to stay in the park longer and enjoy the Community Garden and play area, improve security by making the park more attractive to families, provide a place for dog walkers to get a cup of coffee, and it will mean that maintained toilet facilities are available in the park. These are far more important that a handful of planters!

We have written to the Planning Department to outline our concerns, but here’s what you can do to help:

• add your signature to this petition by 3 August 2016 to let Lewisham Council know you agree that we’ve waited long enough for a cafe and toilets in Mountsfield Park.
• Email mountsfieldpark@gmail.com by 3 August 2016 with any further comments, thoughts, and experiences. All evidence is good evidence and will help us to make the case.
• Tell your friends and neighbours! Share the petition, share this blog post

We want a cafe. The park deserves a cafe. It needs functioning toilet facilities. A local businessman is willing to invest to create an amazing cafe. Short-sighted planning decisions shouldn’t stop it happening.

Lewisham People’s Day 2016 Survey

Lewisham People’s Day 2016 Survey

Complete the survey now  email: events@lewisham.gov.uk Join the People’s Day mailing list

People’s Day at Mountsfield Park Saturday 9 July 2016 from Midday

People’s Day at Mountsfield Park 9 July 2016

New Mountsfield Park Trim Trail

We now have  a proposed design for the new Mountsfield Park trim trail – click on the ‘zeemaps.com‘ link below to see preferred locations for the new trim trail equipment and then click on each location on the map to see an image of what is proposed (satellite/aerial view works best).

//www.zeemaps.com/pub?group=2066251

Thanks to London Marathon Charitable Trust and Rushey Green Assembly for funding the new trim trail equipment at Mountsfield Park which will be available for adults and young people. We’re really pleased that both funds have chosen to invest in our park, and also grateful to Glendale for their funding bid to London Marathon Charitable Trust and supporting these applications. Your views and ideas are essential and will help us to make sure the trail is popular and well used! Please email us at mountsfieldpark@gmail.com

Update on Mountsfield Park Cafe

The prospect of a cafe in Mountsfield Park has moved a step closer with the submission of a planning application to Lewisham Council.

We have been campaigning for a new cafe in the park for years, and we are delighted that the clear wishes of so many in the local community are that much closer to being realised.  The journey to this point has been lengthy and sometimes frustrating, with disappointments along the way.  But it now feels like we are in touching distance of getting a cafe that will serve the needs of all park users – families using the redeveloped playground, weekend gardeners in the community garden, daily dog walkers, picnic goers, joggers, and many more.

Your Executive has written to the Council to put on record our firm support for this proposal – you can view our letter here: Mountsfield cafe reference DC-16-095961

We encourage you to write to the Council to express your support as well.

You can view the planning documents here:
http://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=_LEWIS_DCAPR_83187

We’ll keep you posted as the proposal progresses.

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

 

Mountsfield Park Community Gardening Event Sunday 5 June 10.30am – 1.30pm

Mountsfield Park community gardening  event Sunday 5 June  10.30 am – 1.30 pm:

• mulching,
• weeding,
• watering,
• plant swap,
• make a pizza in the community garden pizza oven – bring your own pizza dough, mozzarella, passata, rolling pin, chopping board, and other ingredients.

All welcome!

Thanks to Roger and Alice for our fabulous up-cycled mud kitchen installed at the Mountsfield Park community garden

 

Thanks to Roger and Alice for the fabulous up-cycled mud kitchen installed at the community garden 15th May 2016!

The mud kitchen was installed on the same day as Teddy Bears’ Picnic 2016 at Mountsfield Park.

FOMP Newsletter: Summer 2016

Summer 16 newsletter

We love a party! Are you coming?

You know how much we in the Friends of Mountsfield Park love a community party?! And our friends, neighbours, and park users love them too!

So please do join us at the Teddy Bear’s Picnic on Sunday 15 May 2016 from 1pm. There’ll be children’s crafts and faceprinting, music from the Macaroon Mamas and Sing Along Sally, Forest School fun, and amazing food and drink from the Truly Splendid Pop Up Vintage Tea Room, Greekelicious by Julia,and FOMP’s licensed bar.

Don’t forget your Teddy Bear!*

*other furry friends welcome too 🙂

 

Trim Trail funding for Mountsfield Park

We had fantastic news yesterday from our friends at Glendale who have secured a £15,000 grant from the London Marathon Charitable Trust. Combined with the £2,000 awarded to FOMP by Rushey Green Assembly, we now have £17,000 to pay for new trim trail equipment at Mountsfield Park which will be available for adult and young adult park users. We’re really pleased that both funds have chosen to invest in our park, and also grateful to Glendale for supporting these applications.

The next step is to consult with park users about the sort of equipment they would like to see in the park, so we’ll be circulating a survey really soon.  Your views and ideas are essential and will help us to make sure the the trail is popular and well used.

Watch this space!

 

If you go down to the woods today….

…. or rather Mountsfield Park’s Community Garden on Sunday 15 May 2016 from 1pm, you and your teddy bear will find lots of treats!

Friends of Mountsfield Park are once again hosting a Teddy Bear’s Picnic as part of the Hither Green Festival – check out the festival brochure for other fantastic events. Join us for:

• Children’s Crafts
• Park Explorer Trail
• Faceprinting
• Forest School taster sessions
• Plant Swap Shop
• Music from the Macaroon Mamas and Sing Along Sally

And to sustain parents, friends, children, and teddy bears alike, refreshments will be provided by Greekelicious by Julia, the Truly Splendid Pop Up Vintage Tea Room, and FOMP’s licensed bar.

We’re looking forward to meeting you and your furry friend!

Thanks to GoodGym.org and FoMP Volunteers for our new Pumpkin Bed at Mountsfield Park Community Garden

Thanks to GoodGym.org and FoMP volunteers for our new pumpkin bed at Mountsfield Park community garden SE6.

@GoodGym and Friends of Mountsfield Park community garden volunteers shoveled and barrowed a huge pile of compost to make our new pumpkin patch next to the poly tunnel. And many thanks to the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association for the funds to buy the 20 cu/m of  of PAS 100 recycled green waste compost from Glendale Lewisham

Winning Mountsfield Park Cafe Design Images

Winning Mountsfield Park cafe design, appearance and size of the cafe building may change during the planning application process. Due to be open for business spring 2017
http://www.o25.gr/tags/mountsfield

 

Forries Education Forest School sessions in Mountsfield Park Tuesdays – Summer Term 2016

Great news! Forries Education will be running Forest School sessions in Mountsfield Park on Tuesdays starting in the summer term.

Tree Planting at Mountsfield Park Sunday 13th March 9.30 – 11.00am

Tree planting at Mountsfield Park

Tree planting at Mountsfield Park Sunday 13th March 9.30 – 11.00am. Meet at Mountsfield Park community garden SE6 1AN at 9.30am. All welcome!

For more information contact mountsfieldpark@gmail.com

Litter Picking Events at Mountsfield Park

Sunday morning litter picking events at Mountsfield Park  28th Feb, 6th March and 13th of March,  11am – 12pm. Meet at Mountsfield Park  community garden 11am .  We will supply litter picking tools and large bags.

Contact mountsfieldpark@gmail.com for more information

All welcome!

Report any fly-tipping, litter, dog litter in Lewisham (including Mountsfield Park) using the FixMyStreet app
FixMyStreet mobile phone app Apple download
FixMyStreet Android mobile phone app download

 

 

Planting roses at Stainton’s rose garden, Mountsfield Park 9.30 – 11.30am Sunday 7th February 2016

Friends of Mountsfield Park will be planting roses at Stainton’s rose garden, Mountsfield Park, next to the community garden 9.30 – 11.30am Sunday 7th February 2016 . Thanks to Glendale for supplying the roses. All welcome to come help us dig the planting holes and plant the roses!

Help needed moving a large pile of compost into the raised vegetable beds at Mountsfield Park community garden Sunday 31 January 9.30am until midday

We need your help moving a large pile of compost into the raised vegetable beds at Mountsfield Park community garden. We will make a start Sunday 31 January 9.30am until midday at the community garden SE6 1AN. We will have shovels and wheelbarrows on the day.

During February and March we will also need help planting 600 (approx) Woodland Trust trees in the park. Please let us know if you can help during one of our community planting days.

Many thanks for you support!

Contact mountsfieldpark@gmail.com for more information.

The raised vegetable beds at the back in this photo need filling with compost – we need your help!

The compost for the community garden raised vegetable beds has been bought with the kind support of Metropolitan Pubic Gardens Association

If you see any problems at Mountsfield Park contact Glendale 0208 318 39866 (24hr phone number).

Download the FixMyStreet app for Android

Download the FixMyStreet app for Apple

Report fly-tipping, litter, dog litter etc in Lewisham (including parks) via the FixMyStreet mobile phone app

Friends of Mountsfield Park AGM 2016

The next Friends of Mountsfield Park AGM will take place from 10am to 12pm on Saturday 16 January 2016 at the Station Pub on Staplehurst Road.

Please read the attached Annual Report which provides a summary of activity since the last AGM.  Please also find here an agenda for the AGM and nomination forms for those seeking election to the Friends executive. Forms must be submitted no later than 5pm on Thursday 14 January 2016 to mountsfieldpark@gmail.com

If you can’t make the AGM but want to be involved in FOMP, please do get in touch – there are lots of ways in which you can help out and we would be grateful for any support you can offer.

FOMP ANNUAL REPORT 2016 FINAL

FOMP AGM Papers 2016 FINAL

NOMINATION FORM FOR ELECTION TO EXECUTIVE GROUP 2016

 

Recycled Christmas Trees – George Lane Entrance Mountsfield Park January 2016

The pile of Christmas trees at the George Lane entrance to Mountsfield Park is growing. The trees will be chipped by Glendale Services and recycled as mulch. Last year Glendale Services delivered a huge pile of Christmas tree mulch to the community garden, which we shifted by the barrow load to cover the flower beds.

Christmas trees for recycling at Mountsfield Park 2016

Join us in Mountsfield Park for Christmas Carols and festive fun!

 

2015 has been another busy year in Mountsfield Park. From the volunteers braving the new year cold in January to tend the burgeoning community garden, to the massive turn out at the Teddy Bears’ Picnic during Hither Green Festival Week in May, and through to the summer BBQ fun (who can forget the sight of the Bald Eagle soaring over the trees?), this year has been one to remember.

But it wouldn’t be complete without one final hurrah in 2015! So come along to Carols in Mountsfield Park, Saturday 19 December, from 14:00.

There will be music, mince pies, beer, mulled wine, cider, and the chance to spend a magical afternoon with your community.

We look forward to seeing as many of you wonderful people there as possible!

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

Friends of Mountsfield Park Open Meeting 7-8pm Wednesday 2nd December 2015 – All Welcome!

Friends of Mountsfield Park Open Meeting with Glendale   7-8pm Wednesday 2nd December 2015 – All Welcome!

Venue: Hither Green Baptist Church, Theodore Rd, London SE13 6HT.

Please come to the meeting and  let us know about improvements that you would like for Mountsfield Park and let Glendale know any concerns about the way that the park is maintained. If you are unable to attend the meeting and would like issues raised – email us at mountsfieldpark@gmail.com. Meeting minutes will be forwarded to Lewisham Council and the Rushey Green Councillors.

Tree planting in the park with Friends of Mountsfield Park – 10am, Sunday 15th November 2015 – All Welcome!

Tree planting in the park with Friends of Mountsfield Park – 10am, Sunday 15th November 2015 – All Welcome!

Meet at Mountsfield Park  community garden (near the bandstand).

Please let us know if you would like to take part – email us at mountsfieldpark@gmail.com

 

Santa’s Snow Rush at Mountsfield Park SE6 – Sunday 29 November

Sign up at www.demelza.org.uk for a festive obstacle course at Mountsfield Park SE6 1AN  29 November 2015:
Adults (16+) £22, children (15 and under) £7.50

A festive charity event for Demelza hospice care for children

Council seek expressions of interest in a new cafe in Mountsfield Park

As many of you know, Lewisham Council have £50k set aside to support the development a new and improved cafe in Mountsfield Park, and they are now seeking expressions of interest from potential operators.

We don’t think there is any single way to create a wonderful cafe in Mountsfield Park, and are keen that this process encourages creative and innovative approaches, bringing in private investment to supplement money from the Council.

If you know somebody who might be interested – perhaps an existing local business – please encourage them to contact the Corporate Asset Team at Lewisham Council on 0208 314 6865 or email Jennifer.Rivers@lewisham.gov.uk .  The Team will also be hosting an open afternoon on Wednesday 28 October from 14:00-16:00 – why not come along and share your views?

The Friends of Mountsfield Park have produced a short information pack to help this process – MP_Brief_FINAL_July_2015.pdf

We hope that this can be the start of the next phase of improvement at our wonderful park.  With your help, continued engagement, and enthusiasm, the cafe we all dream of can become a reality.

The deadline for cafe operators to submit their expressions of interest to the Council’s Corporate Asset Team is 28 October 2015. The Council will then will then formally invite bids giving 6 weeks to return.

Thanks.

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth

FOMP Executive

 

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Mountsfield Park Trim Trail Bid – Rushey Green Assembly 6th Oct 2015 7pm Civic Suite SE6 4RU

Please support our Rushey Green Assembly bid for a fitness/ trail trim trail funding for Mountsfield Park, Catford at Rushey Green Assembly 6th Oct 2015 7pm Civic Suite SE6 4RU. Mountsfield Park is very popular with people who want gentle exercise and those who want to keep fit. An attractive 1.5km trim trail route around the perimeter of the park would improve the facilities for runners and other fitness enthusiasts who use the park. Teenagers and children also enjoy using trim trail equipment. Glendale have agreed to bid for the bulk of the funding. They  will install and maintain the trim trim trail equipment.
More information about venue:
https://mountsfieldpark.wordpress.com/…/mountsfield-park-t…/

More information about venue:
http://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CommitteeId=303&CF=&MeetingId=4046&Ver=4

Mountsfield Park Photos

Thanks Derek for these two early 20th century photos of Mountsfield Park!

Nature’s Gym at Mountsfield Park 5th and 19th November 2015

5th and 19th November 2015
11am-2pm Nature’s Gym
Mountsfield Park

Contact:  judith.simmons@glendale-services.co.uk

Nature’s Gym programme:
Nature’s-gym-programme-october-december-2015

Mountsfield Park community garden one of Lewisham’s Open House London 2015 sites 19 September 1.30 – 2.30pm

Mountsfield Park community garden will be one of Lewisham’s Open House London 2015 sites . Mehron Kirk from BDP will be giving a designer’s tour of the community garden between 1.30 – 2.30pm Saturday 19th September. Join us earlier from 10.30am to help us mulch the fruit trees, add more logs to the wildlife loggery and improve the den at Mountsfield Park community garden, Catford SE6 1AN.

MP Heidi Alexander and other volunteers building the wildlife loggery at Mountsfield Park community garden at ‘The Big Dig’ November 2014, Catford SE6 1AN

‘Was that an EAGLE flying over Mountsfield Park?’ – FOMP Summer Picnic 2015

We might not have had the best weather for the FOMP summer picnic, but that didn’t stop us! And didn’t we have a great time?

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the day, whether by donating a cake, gifting a bag of clothes to refugees at our drop off point, buying a FABULOUS Mountsfield Park mug, sampling one (or more than one) bottles of cider, or introducing yourself to a barn owl. We would like to thank Sammy T’s for running the last BBQ of the summer, and our friends at Eagle Heights for providing the astonishing birds of prey display in the Community Garden. At least one unsuspecting park user looked pretty surprised when the bald eagle decided to fly off low over the main park!

We have been particularly humbled by your generosity to the refugees in Calais and in the Mediterranean. Through sales of cakes, drinks, and FOMP mugs, we were able to make a profit of £434.04, all of which will be donated to Save the Children. We are delighted that Sammy T’s have kindly added another £100, so that we will be sending £534.04 in total!

And, as if that wasn’t enough, our poly-tunnel was filled to bursting with donated bags of clothes, food, sleeping bags, tents and much needed supplies. Four car loads of your donations were delivered to Martha O’Toole in Catford who is doing so much to co-ordinate donations in the area for the ‘Help Calais’ campaign.

This generosity is totally inspiring and represents everything that we have come to expect from this community. Together we have shown that we can have a great time, make excellent use of our park, and help others. You are all superstars and we are proud to be your neighbours!

Other news

The Council will soon be launching an expressions of interest process to find potential partners for a new and improved cafe in the park. We will share more information when we have it. In the meantime, if you, or anybody you know, might be interest, please do get in touch.

The FOMP Annual General Meeting is due to take place in October. Once we have secured a venue, we will send around further information. Again, if you are interested in getting more involved and want more information, let us know.

Thanks.
Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

FOMP Summer Picnic – coming together as a community

Having fun and raising funds for refugees in crisis

We are really looking forward to seeing you from midday on Saturday for our annual FOMP summer picnic. We love how the events we hold bring the community together, showing how much we enjoy our wonderful park, and we think this is going to be the best yet!

This is a free event, although we had intended to ask people to contribute towards FOMP funds and to use money raised from the bar to put towards a new trim trail in the park.

But the recent refugee crisis has made us stop and think. Whatever the root causes, the rights and wrongs, the political arguments, the fact is that people – families and children included – feel driven to take desperate risks. The tragic human costs are shocking.

Like many of you, we have been thinking about what we can do to help, so we have decided:

• All profits made by FOMP on Saturday will be donated to Save the Children to support their work with refugees in the Mediterranean. You can find more information at http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/shame-on-europe
• We will be collecting donations for ‘Help Calais‘ who are providing necessities for those living in the temporary accommodation. You will find more information about this group on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1486136575014090/ but essentially they are looking for the basics for life: food, clothes, shelter, hygiene supplies. Here also is their suggested list of items: Donation List 27 Aug 2015.  If you bring your donations to the Park on Saturday, we will pass them on to the person collecting for Help Calais in Catford. If you have any larger items you’d like to donate (mattresses for example), we can also put you in touch with our contact.

This doesn’t mean we have given up on the trim trail for the park and will keep working at bidding for funding, as well as on other improvements. And, most importantly, we are all determined that Saturday will be fun – a celebration of how wonderful we are as a community, of how we keep coming together to make a positive difference. The plan for the day is:

• A Bird of Prey display, provided by Eagle Heights – http://www.eagleheights.co.uk – will start at 13:30pm. Come and see eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls perform in the park, and then spend time with the birds after the display has finished. You can even hold the birds (for a small donation to Eagle Heights).
• BBQ provided by our friends at Sammy T’s will include kid friendly options and the first chance to try some new recipes soon to be offered on the Southbank.
• Carrie’s Bar will run throughout the picnic, offering a range of alcoholic and soft drinks.
• Tea and cakes will also be available, and you can even take home your very own Mountsfield Park mug.

Thanks for your continued support. See you on Saturday!

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

Friends of Mountsfield Park Mugs

Your views count! Lewisham Council Events Survey

The Council are running a survey on events in Lewisham parks, and they would like your views.

What does this mean?
Well, basically, the Council are interested in hosting more events in local parks as a way of making money. They recognise that funds are tight – as we well know, local park budgets have suffered recently – and are exploring whether they could run more events, some of which will be paid ticket only events, as a way of raising funds.

This is a particularly important issue for Mountsfield Park. Our park is one of the largest in Lewisham and is already an established site for large scale events like Lewisham People’s Day. It seems likely that it will be a popular location for any other events that are run.

What are the pluses and minuses to this proposal?
Holding more events means that the Council can raise funds, helping to protect park budgets, and there may well be events that local residents are keen to see and attend. Charging entry is a good way of making money and attracting high quality performers and events.

But events can be disruptive – many of you have commented on the negative impact of People’s Day for example – and there are likely to be events that don’t appeal to you. At this stage, we don’t know what sort of events might be scheduled, when or for how long areas of the park might have restricted access, or what costs might be.

What does FOMP think about the proposal?
Our view is that if Lewisham residents react positively to this suggested course of action, then we would want to see any revenue raised fed directly back into the parks budget. In particular, we believe that parks holding specific events should get extra funds to recognise the impact in terms of disruption and damage which hosting might entail. If managed sensibly, this could well be a good way of raising income in times of financial hardship.

The survey
We would encourage you to think about these issues, and respond to the survey (which can be found here: https://lewisham-consult.objective.co.uk/portal (look for ‘Lewisham Parks and Open Spaces Survey 2015’).

Yours views really count and a really good response from Mountsfield Park users would help to ensure that we can protect and promote our wonderful space. Please do find just five minutes to respond.

Thanks.
Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

Friends of Mountsfield Park at Lewisham Peoples Day 2015

(PS – don’t forget the most important event – the FREE picnic and funday organised by FOMP on Saturday 5 September, with our first ever Birds of Prey display!)

Saturday 5 September – FOMP Summer Picnic!

Free fun in Mountsfield Park, including a Bird of Prey display!

We hope you are all enjoying your summer – full of holidays, sunshine (well, some sunshine), and of course lots of days spent in the park. But no matter how much fun you have had, the best is still to come!

The FREE annual FOMP summer picnic will take place from midday on Saturday 5 September:
– A Bird of Prey display, provided by Eagle Heights will start at 13:30pm. Come and see eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls perform in the park, and then spend time with the birds after the display has finished. You can even hold the birds (for a small donation to Eagle Heights). http://www.eagleheights.co.uk
– BBQ provided by our friends at Sammy T’s will include kid friendly options and the first chance to try some new recipes soon to be offered on the Southbank.
– Carrie’s Bar will run throughout the picnic, offering a range of alcoholic and soft drinks.
– Tea and cakes will also be available, and you can even take home your very own Mountsfield Park mug.

This is a free event although we will be asking for donations to FOMP to help with the running costs of the Community Garden and to raise money for a new trim trail in the park.

So join us on Saturday 5 September to celebrate the end of the summer and help us to raise funds for an even better park. See you then!

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

Good news and the promise of more to come!

We are delighted that Mountsfield Park has been awarded Green Flag status – recognition that our park is one of the best green spaces in the country!  Credit is due to the parks team at Lewisham Council, and Glendale who manage Mounstfield Park on behalf of the Council.  And credit is also due to you – the users!  The award is only given out to parks that are welcoming and engage the community.

You can find out more about the Green Flag award at http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk

But we want the Park to be even better – in particular to give it the cafe that you all want and the space deserves.  The Council is about to launch a process to encourage potential cafe developers and operators to put their ideas forward, backed by £50k of Council money.  

We want your ideas too!  These are essential if we are to explore the full range of options for a new cafe, so that those interested in investing their time and money into our park understand what we want.

So, we have written a short paper, setting out our overall hopes for a cafe, which you can read here:

MP_Brief_FINAL_July_2015.pdf

We have also pulled together a few questions for you to answer, and which we will pass onto the Council.  You can do this in two ways:

(1) Fill in this questionnaire and email it to us at mountsfieldpark@gmail.com

MP_Questions_2015.docx

(2) Visit our Facebook page and leave your answers there  http://www.facebook.com/friendsofmountsfieldpark

We have to send our thoughts to the Council by the end of next week, so it would be great if you could send us your responses by midnight on Wednesday 29 July 2015.

We really look forward to hearing from you all.  And we look forward to an even better park in the not too distant future!

Rory, Maria, Carrie, Ros, Rivke, Max, and Gareth
FOMP Executive

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Two large husky dogs out of control at Mountsfield Park Saturday 13 May 2017

Two large husky type dogs were out of control chasing a fox cub at Mountsfield Park children’s’ play area Saturday 13 May 2017. The owner of the dogs swore at people in the play area and said that she didn’t have control of the dogs. If you witness out of control dogs at Mountsfield Park please contact the police at  999 if it is an emergency or 101 (non emergency) or RusheyGreen.SNT@met.pnn.police.uk / Lewisham Police Tel: 0208 284 5128 / 0208 721 2479.

Vote for new Hither Green street trees

Hither Green is prioritised for an allocation of trees funded by Greater London Authority.

In Hither Green, there are over 200 empty tree pits and so to make things easy we have marked the tree pits here for you to vote for where you would like the Street trees to be planted.

You will need to search for your street, find the closest pin, click on it and leave your email address and we will send you a confirmation.

The tree pits with the most registered votes will be chosen for planting.

There will be less than 3 trees to allocate however, as always you can privately sponsor a tree by pledging £240 and be proud that you have helped keep Hither Green green.

Click here to find your tree.

More information:
http://www.hithergreentrees.com/news/