Why not try to get along to a launch…  share some inspiration and pick up some tips!

February 15
Friends of Wyndham Square
Neswick  Play Area
Stonehouse
Plymouth
PL1 5JG
Playground

February 16
Parkstone Sports & Arts Centre
Recreation Road
Poole
Dorset
BH12 2EA
Multi-use games area

March 24
Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Great Dunmow
St Mary’s Riverside Project
Church End
Great Dunmow
Essex
CM6 2AE
Churchyard/nature improvements

March 31
Friends of Ashurst Recreation Ground
Lakewood Road/Whartons Lane
Ashurst
Southampton
Hampshire
SO40 7EF
Park improvements

April 11
Woodsend Community Group
Woodsend Park
Woodsend Circle
Flixton
Manchester
M41 8GY
Playground

April 14
Friends of Peckham Rye Park
Peckham Rye Park
Southwark
London
SE15 3UA
Community wildlife garden

April 21
Garstang Millennium Green Trust
Wyre Lane
Garstang
Lancashire
PR3 1HZ
Footpaths and bridleways

­The official opening of the Heeley Millennium Park BMX pump track and mountain bike trail in Sheffield was a great success, with novice and expert cyclists keen to try out the new facility.

The event celebrated the completion of the 1st phase of work on the Community Spaces Flagship project by Heeley Development Trust.

The changes to the park have received overwhelmingly positive responses. Local people had the opportunity to mark the park with their own planted trees and instructors from Recycle Bikes helped cyclists to exploit their skills and gain knowledge on the new trail.

As part as of the revamp, new play facilities have been constructed and extensive tree and shrub planting has been implemented with help from local schools, volunteers, Sheffield City Councils Tree Officer and Tinsley Tree Project.

Andy Jackson, Heeley Development Trust Manager, said at the launch: “‘Parks are vital to the way that cities work, they are the lungs of our cities, offering moments of calm, a chance to see wildlife on your doorstep. They define the character and landscape of our neighbourhoods, contributing to health, wellbeing and the economy.

“Given how important they are, it amazes me how difficult it is to fund their maintenance and how quickly their budgets are reduced. This funding from Community Spaces has transformed our park, rekindling local people’s interest and getting people excited and involved again.”

The Heeley Millennium Park is the largest community owned and managed park in Sheffield and has undergone major transformation over the last few months.

The next phase of work on the park will include the installation of new climbing boulders, a multi use games area, an art trail and further shrub and herbaceous planting.  Once the full programme of work is completed, the park will be one of a kind, reflecting the countryside on the outskirts of Sheffield, giving users a ‘peek into the Peaks.’

For more information and pictures from the event, visit the Heeley Development Trust website or see our Flickr page.

Ben, half of the Armstrong and Miller comedy duo, accepted an invitation from the Stapeley Parish Action Group to open phase 2 of the development, which was funded by Community Spaces.

The £100,000-plus Stapeley Children’s Play Area is on a landscaped corner site next the Pear Tree Primary School in Stapeley on the outskirts of Nantwich.

“We carried out a survey in the parish asking local people what they felt was most needed and the results showed that a recreational facility for the children was a top priority,” said Val Ingram, Chair of Stapeley Parish Action Group.

“It has taken some three years of very hard work by all concerned to bring it to fruition and we are delighted that Ben Miller agreed to come back to Nantwich and officially open this wonderful new facility for children of all ages throughout the area.”

The architect-designed playground  incorporates see-saws and swings, an overhead zip wire and numerous novelty features as well as a bicycle park and bench seating alongside the pathways.

Phase one was opened in July 2011, funded by the Government’s Playbuilder scheme and Landfill Communities Funds of Waste Recycling Group Ltd, administered by WREN. The second and final phase, which has cost nearly £50,000, has been funded by Community Spaces, managed by Groundwork Cheshire and installed by County Landscape Development. Match funding was also provided by Stapeley & District Parish Council.

Despite a very cold, windy winter’s afternoon a large number of local families turned out to see the ribbon-cutting opening ceremony. Children were given commemorative wrist bands and modelled balloons and enjoyed designing their own tiles in the craft area. Pear Tree Primary School PTA members helped to run the refreshments stalls.

More pictures on the group’s Flickr feed

Swans, ducks, reed-planting, children from six schools and a home-made Swan Lake cake – just some of the ingredients at the launch event of the Lakeside Explorer project in Newcastle.

The party was a celebration of the hard work carried out by the Exhibition and Brandling Parks Community Trust to transform the lake in Exhibition Park.

A Community Spaces grant helped the trust to improve the landscape around the lake, making it more wildlife-friendly and with better opportunities for visitors to enjoy nature.

The Lakeside Explorer project combines the best of the past with a new future: it softens edges and builds boardwalks out into the lake, creates sheltered shallows planted with reeds which will soon be tall enough to hide people walking though them and brings new plantings of wild plants to the lake edges.

Well done to all.

 Space fans should be heading for Derby next week as the Alvaston Park Science Garden counts down to lift-off.

The Alvaston Park Friends – helped by a Community Spaces grant – have created a series of large-scale science exhibits in the park, which will be officially opened by the Mayor of Derby, Coun Les Allen at 12.30pm on Wednesday January 18.

The formal opening and celebration of the garden will run until 5pm, followed by the BBC Stargazing LIVE Star Party, which finishes at 9pm.

The party will feature Starchaser Industries’ Skybolt rocket. Mad Science will provide science-based activities, Derby Museum & Art Gallery will be organising craft activities with an astronomical flavour and Derby & District Astronomical Society will be on hand with telescopes for visitors to explore the night sky.

Find out more at www.alvastonparkfriends.org.uk

Built as part of the major revamp for the Millennium Park by BikeTrack.org  and Heeley Development Trust staff the new track is just the first part of a Community Spaces Flagship Project. The new path weaves in and out of the trees across the whole of the bottom of the park.

Andy Jackson, manager of Heeley Development Trust, which owns and manages the Millennium Park, said: “Mountain bike riding is becoming more and more popular but not everyone can get out to the Peak District or the Pennines. This track gives people a chance to practise here in the city.

”There’s something there for everyone – from beginners to the most experienced – and folk can work their way up from getting round the corners up to some very technical ‘skinnies’ “ (that’s balancing beams to the rest of us). The Trust will have bikes for people to borrow on the day, experts on hand to give advice on riding the course and there’ll be a load of free-standing obstacles for people to try out.”

There have been big changes elsewhere in the park and in the playground a new giant birdsnest swing has sprung up. Park manager Thom White says: “Swings are one of those things that people have been asking for for years. I’m just glad that the Community Spaces funding came along and let us do it.”

Things will be kicking off from noon in the Heeley Millennium Park on Well Road, just off Chesterfield Road. Local councillors Tim Rippon and Cate McDonald will be cutting the ribbon at 12.30pm.

For more information go to http://www.heeleydevtrust.com/

The Community Association secured a Community Spaces Sustainability Grant following on from their original funding for the development of the rec, which has helped to fund further activities and events.

The family fun day followed an activities programme that saw youngsters from the community engaged in football, basketball, tennis and dance mats.

The Family Fun Day was a huge success, with over 150 people attending throughout the day. With activities to choose from such as basketball and football, a bouncy castle, soft play, and the popular 4 in 1 bungee trampoline, the day went down as treat (as did the home baked refreshments).

The project, which was developed by Toronto Community Association and Groundwork North East, included the replacement of the existing play area with a new improved facility along with the installation of a multi use games area and access improvements.

The scheme, which cost over £130,000, was part funded through Community Spaces. Other money came from Durham County Council Urban Rural Renaissance Initiative, Section 106 funds and Bishop Auckland Town Council.

The Millennium Park is currently undergoing a £500,000 transformation with funding from Community Spaces and the Events and Involvement Organiser will be key to the success of the project.

This role is suitable for someone with a strong background in community engagement, in environmental activities and in events organisation. Experience of successful fund-raising and open space development would also be useful.

The job is for 30 hours per week on an initial one-year contract, with a possible extension subject to funding and comes with a salary of £19,656 pa pro rata.

The closing date is January 16.

For information contact the trust on 0114 250 0613, email
thom.w@heeleydevtrust.com or call in to the Heeley Development Trust Offices at 62-68 Thirlwell Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 9TF

The Conigre Mead Volunteers have set up a blog to keep friends and supporters up to date with developments at the project.

The volunteers, who help to maintain Conigre Mead Nature Reserve in Melksham, which is owned by the Wiltshire wildlife Trust, are using their £47,710 Community Spaces grant to improve the reserve.

Work include new surfaces to paths, new gates, new notice and information boards, and new seats. It will be carried out during the next few months and will be finished by June 2012.

The work will make the reserve more accessible and friendly to all users, particularly those with disabilities. Wheelchair and buggy users will be able to use the reserve all year round.

Seats will be installed suitable for all ages and will be useful for school groups and others.

There will be up-to-date and seasonal information about the site and its wildlife