The Council is proud of and actively encourages community Friends Groups and Volunteer Engagement in the evolution and management of its Open Spaces.
The Council’s Friends Groups are groups of volunteers that get involved with practical maintenance of a local space. There are at present, over 50 friends group across nearly half of the Council’s total open spaces including parks, allotments, woodlands and heritage/archaeological sites.
These groups contribute a total of around 45,000 hours per annum with their roles becoming increasingly proactive including (but not limited to):
- Weeding, planting and other parks maintenance
- Habitat surveys and biodiversity audits.
- The sharing of skills and advice
- The organisation of social events such as concerts and fetes.
- The development of stronger links with open space users
- The completion of grant funding applications for external funding that enhances local open spaces.
The activities undertaken by Friends both compliment the maintenance undertaken by Council crews but also make a significant difference to an open spaces quality and accessibility.
The Friends are supported by an excellent umbrella organisation in the Friends Forum, whichwhich works in partnership with the Council and Idverde to create a better environment for all. It also provides the Friends Groups with a voice and representation in deciding what goes on in their local spaces. To see a list of all the Friends Groups in the borough please visit the the Friends Forum website.
There have been some recent great support from the Friends Groups, who assisted by Idverde have been active in applying to the Council’s Jubilee Parks Fund, a £1 million fund to contribute towards community led projects to improve local green spaces. Applications have been wide ranging and have included playground improvements, the establishment of community gardens and orchards, habitat improvement and in one case, a dog agility course.
If you are interested in becoming a member of a Friends Group or in setting up your own, please visit the Bromley Council website to register your interest.