Community Spaces Facilitator, Alan Leather, tells us about his experience working with the Friends of Brearley Park who launched this weekend.
12 December 2009
Today I attended the launch of my first Community Spaces project. The launch of a play area at Brearley Park in Chesterfield. This was the fourth and final phase in the redevelopment of the park to create a range of play facilities for young people of all ages.
Community Spaces Facilitator, Alan Leather, with the Friends of Brearley Park at the launch of the new junior play area.
The first three phases saw the installation of a skate park, a multi-use games area (MUGA) and a toddler play area, as well as footpaths and lighting.
The long-term project was instigated when several teenagers attended the local Community Forum and asked for somewhere decent to play safely. From this, an active group, the Friends of Brearley Park, was formed.
Barbara Wallace has been the driving force behind the group, working hard for almost 10 years to complete this project. Without a doubt, the most interesting part of being a facilitator is meeting the groups and the people that put so much energy behind achieving their projects.
Barbara is certainly an inspiration. When asked if she might take a rest now and enjoy retirement she said “oh yes, for a couple of weeks, get Christmas over”. The next project for Barbara is set to tackle is to set up a drop in centre for people with cancer. Good luck Barbara.
The project has worked closely with the park’s owners, Chesterfield Borough Council, and had good support from Creswell Groundwork Trust who have supported the group with fundraising and project management.
I drove past the site later in the day to see it being well used. A great project increasing peoples access to quality open-spaces.
