Spring into March with activities 2014 so far...

News from the Park

@kingsnortonpark

March 2014 - ADDED  DETAILS APRIL, MAY & JUNE 

Dear friend of Kings Norton Park

Fingers crossed, the deluge season stops soon and the suns breaks through lasts and feeds us the crocus and daffodils.  Purple, yellow and white is peeping though our borders to bring that refreshing splash of spring colour.   During the dark early months of the year we have been considering some new ventures, some things we should revisit and how we as a community support the environment and encourage out of doors activities to suit all tastes and abilities.

Thank you first and foremost.

We commence 2014 by thanking
everyone who has managed to do
something towards helping to keep
our flower beds neat, to litter pick,
help to organise or take part in
environmental activities and events,
who has explored or put in bids,
represented us at other green forums,
attended training, purchased new
equipment or carried out the essential
but less than glamorous administration
and financial functions all of which
are equally valuable and enhance
experiences in our park.   Thank you.

The realisation of our planning
relies very much upon the contribution of volunteers and a continued good working relationship with our Birmingham City Parks Department, local ranger team, wider support of elected representatives and other local groups.  We encourage joint working for and hope local people and groups will link up to deliver projects or events - please do get in touch there is something for everyone.

Budget News   

Birmingham City Council has just set another budget which significantly reduces spending on essential services which will change the face of the public services.   The Government is cutting back on funding for local councils. No matter what our point of view may be regarding making cuts, it cannot be denied it will have an impact on vulnerable people in our community. One thing we can do is try to help improve the experience of local residents who will be affected could be to help protect our  natural environment for the future and in those surroundings develop activities which does not cost families large sums of money.  

The Friends of Kings Norton Park voiced its concerns about budget cuts during the consultation process, we made representations to other groups, attended public meetings and responded online because initially BCC were proposing devastating losses to parks - many jobs and play areas were to go and services were to be withdrawn.  

A budget rethink by the Council was welcomed Our Friends group was concerned at one point that there was an implication that volunteering could be used as an alternative to trained directly employed staff.  Birmingham Open Spaces Forum (BOSF) facilitated joined up working with other parks and green groups across Birmingham which may have influenced a BCC Parks Budget rethink to a reduced £600k cut instead of a £2m (since then I have heard an extra £400k cut has been added)   BOSF and BCC has piloted a 

BeActive initiative in 5 of the city’s parks and through public health policies is extending this provision to 50 more outdoor spaces – we may be fortunate to become one.  It will bring funding for healthy activities which do not necessarily have to be sporty.   

Our Friends are clear that we have only achieved any improvements to our park because of the positive working relationship we have with BOSF and parks staff, especially our Constituency Parks Manager, Sue Amey and local rangers from the Lickey Hills hub.  If you are interested delivering activities in Kings Norton Park please let me know, coaches will need to get insured and undergo normal safeguarding checks.

You may be aware that there is also a new BCC policy for dog owners, it covers things like where you should walk your dog on a lead, strict rules governing dog fouling, bans them from play areas and introduces spot fines.  Dog foul has become an increasing problem in our Park and poses health risks if not cleaned up.   Local nursery children mentioned dog pooh as one of the things they disliked about our Park in our consultation exercise about play.     You can now put dog foul inside a plastic bag and into any ordinary council bin. 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/new-war-dogs-fouling-birminghams-1319149

Our Friends group does not charge for membership and relies on donations.  If you wish to make a donation please do so at one of events. 

2014 Activities Update

January was a complete wash out so we started planning.

February we were off site at Ley Hills Park for Freshwater Vertebra Network Training a project with Birmingham Black Country Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, encouraging local groups and residents to help survey parts of rivers and their tributaries to support fish, invertebrate, small mammals and birds.  www.yourstream.org.uk Friends of Kings Norton Park will test the river rea inside its stretch of the park during this year at the same time some upriver groups like Balams Wood, Friends of River Rea and Friends of Kings Norton Nature Reserve.  We were trained to identify various types of stream life eg) moth and fly larvae, bugs, shells, mites and worms. I discovered under a microscope they are fascinating and far more attractive than I imaged.  We were shown how to identify different types of pollution too and were let loose, with wellies and nets, into Merritt’s Brook and the Bourn.  The resulted pleased the experts and were submitted as part of a national survey.   If you want to learn how to test the water or have a local group of people who would like to take part in our testing later in the year please get in touch.  Day two of our training will take place in onsite on Friday 28 March at 11am; meet at the POD on this occasion. 

 

March we have sprung into action installing our new lockable Friends noticeboard purchased with funds from Big Lottery and installed by our wonderful Rangers, Steve, Adam, Dave and Robert – may thanks.   This will act as focal point for sharing information and compliment to the BlogSpot.  

We also invited Lee Copplestone to explain WaterCare UK projects aims and what we might achieve together, for example raising water course cleanliness, opening up a view to the canal, however, but these rely on your support.  Together we litter picked along the canal feeder in the playing fields In just  1½ hours 10 bags of rubbish were collected  a bit concerning! 

A Farmers Market stall in March with Friends and the Millennium Fields Trust to chat to you about building a programme for 2014 and your ideas pop and see us but remember you can always catch at other friend’s activities or via email.  

Our committee meeting was held on Friday 14 March 2pm at the Lickey Hills the rangers and Lee Copplestone were able to join us - thanks for the venue an coffee chaps!  A very productive and enjoyable planning meeting sharing great ideas. 

The following week, Friday 21 March, the Friends of Kings Norton Park will attend a planning session with Worcester, Birmingham and Drotiwich Canal Society, Kings Norton History Society, Bham CC N&E Parks Manager, St Nicolas Place, Millennium Fields Trust and Lifford Business Association, exploring a possible festival celebrating 200 years of our canal in 2015.  We will keep you posted!

April Two accessible picnic tables have been ordered.  We are awaiting delivery and installation and thinking of siting one in the Park by the children’s playground next to the canal feeder and the other in a quieter spot behind the Library overlooking the playing fields.  Tell us what you think.

2014	Notable Dates INFORMATION ONLY	FRIENDS of KNP  EVENTS Check noticeboard & Blog for updates	PROGRESS
January	27-Holocaust	×    Friday January 3 rained off	FIN & Keep Britain Tidy Explore Be Active Parks Materials for memorial activity Reports request SA
February	20 World Social Justice 17 half-term	×    Friday February 7 activity at Ley  Hills Park - Fin Training attended	FIN training course or litter pick Assess flower beds Programme 2014 A4A Monitoring form
March	1 St David’s 8 Int Women’s Day 16 St Patricks Day 21 Int Eliminate Racial Discrimination 22 KNNR clean up 24 KNHS Talk	×  Tues 4 March BCC Budget Set ×   Friday 7 March 10.30am Friends active in Park ×   Sat 8 Farmers Market stall 9am ×   Mon 10 March BOSF meet 5pm ×   Friday 14 March 2 pm group  meet at Lickeys Hills ×   Friday 21 March WB&DC planning 12pm Library ×   Friday 28 March FIN Day2 11am meet at POD in playing field ×   Friday 28 March NEF Oddingly Hall 2pm	Budget cuts engagement Litter pick canal feeder playfields Install noticeboard BOSF Insurance Lock on POD Order paint for benches AGM social talk, food & music Walk
April	18- 21 Easter Weekend 23 St Georges Day 28 Workers Memorial	×   Friday 4 April Friends active in Park - flower beds  ×   NEW Friday 25 April Walk talk stay play - local history walk quiz little ones activity in park and refreshments in Old Grammar School . Meet 11am at The Green, to Playing Fields, Canal, Park and nature reserves.	Plant up Memorial Garden Bed Plan activities for Be Active Install Picnic benches
May	1 Int Workers Day 5 May Day B/H 17 KNNR Open Day 26 May Spring B/H	×   NEW Friday 2  May Friends and FIN River Rea dipping and finding underworld waterlife.  Join us at 1`0.30am meet in Car Park. - NEW Friday 16 May Waterside sampling care for the canal feeder & Lint Brook working with keep Britian tidy - litter pick too. ×   Sat 17 May KNNR Open day activities	Flower Bed Tidy AGM social plans
June	5 World Environment  20 Refugee Day 23 World Public Service 16 June BOSF AGM	×    Friday 6 June Friends active in  Park ×    NEW Friday 13 June evening social at Kings Norton with AGM talk music food and social at Kings Norton Bowling Club at 7pm ×    Tues 24 June 6pm NCEF	Prepare memorial activity Officers elections on 13 June
July	Sat 5 July Cocomad 11 World population 18 Nelson Mandela 25 July Love Parks Wk	×   Friday 4 July Friends active in  Park ×   Saturday 12 July Kings Norton  Festival - conflict and peace poppy making and messages	Plan River Rea sampling Stain glass windows nature images
August	4 WWI commemorate 12 Youth Day 23 Anti-slavery Day 25 Summer B/H	×   Friday 1 Aug Friends active in  Park ×   Sat 16 Aug - Balsam Bash canal  feeder	Balsam clearance Keep Britain Tidy
Sept	11-14 Heritage wknd 21 Int Day of Peace	×   Friday 5 Sept Friends active in  Park ×   Sat 20 group meet 11am Library ×    Tues 30 Sept 2pm NCEF	River Rea Sampling
October	31 Halloween	×   Friday 3 Oct Friends active in Park	Meadow cut collect mow seed
November	11 Remembrance Sunday 16 Tolerance 25 Elimination of violence against women	×   Friday 7 Nov Friends active in Park ×   Sat 25 Nov group meet 11am Library	Playing fields canal clean up Review of 2014
December	1 World Aids Day	×   Friday 5 Dec Friends active in Park ×   Friday 12 Dec 12 pm NCEF	Planning
2015	WB&D Canal Bicentenary Celebration	×   June/July  (tbc)	In conjunction WB&DCS and local community

June   You may have noticed we are going to try something a bit different this year for our AGM we would like grow an evening with more of a social emphasis.  Considering an interesting talk, followed by music, food and possibly a bar.  If you fancy this sort of an event or have any suggestions on a suitable local venue, refreshment or entertainment providers please share.  Likewise for any future skills share, funding opportunities or reliable contacts - the more active we become the more likely we are to see things we want to in our park.

These dates are subject to postponement due to inclement weather or last minute changes to best check your weather app, our notice board or this blog. 

Hope to see you soon! 

From FoKNP committee members Lynn, Dinny, Chris, Liz, Claire, Lucy and Andy.

FoKNP contact

Lynn Horsnett

Chair of Friends of Kings Norton Park

Email:      info.foknp@gmail.com

Blog:        www.friendsofkingsnortonpark

Twitter:  @kingsnortonpark 

News from Our Park

October 2013

Dear Friend of Kings Norton Park

What a fantastic summer not very often we can say this!   We were hoping for a dryer Indian summer, but at least the warmer temperatures are saving on energy costs (or are they with recent hikes!).

Our park is increasing popularity so most days you walk through you will find all different sorts of people involved in all sorts of activities. I find it a very refreshing visit and escape from my fast paced, concrete, urban working life.

 

First thank you to all those involved, whether you come to meetings or not, I know many of you do your bit unnoticed by your neighbours, and thanks to our supportive professionals and representatives.  Our team working really has made a difference.  

Giggles in the play area once more

Super news the play area is reopened, sadly this was after our first real major incident of vandalism in the Park which temporarily closed the childrens play area for health and safety reasons.  Our eco safety matting was torn up.  It has now been replaced by a more robust but less attractive safety surface (cost has also been a consideration) has been be laid, but pleasingly it looks like the grass will grow through to soften the edges.  The whole affair from act to repair only took about 3-4 weeks which can only be attributed to our super supportive Parks Manager, Sue Amey and the willingness of BBC to finance and act quickly in order to resume play. 
An obvious future concern is that if BCC have to pay maintenance costs in our park to replace damaged items they will be less inclined to support any new facilities or projects which will leave our aspirations somewhat depleted.

 

 

 

Whilst we are on the gloomy subject

You may have noticed that we lost a couple of our new specialist standard trees earlier this year, which were probably planted too near the play area as well as the beautiful additional curved stone feature bench in upper civic garden.  The trees will not be replaced but we do have about seven of differing variety still surviving and dotted around the park.  The stone bench has been heroically collected in stages by our rangers at the Lickey hub with assisting machinery.  A huge thank you Lickey hub for swift action and a heavy job! for a The hope is it can be repaired and eventually put back at some point however this will be costly. 

If you witness any criminal damage or any threatening behaviour taking place please do call 101 or 999.  

 

A new noticeboard 

We are just pricing up lockable external metal noticeboards on posts – we can only afford one Park side at the moment (about £1,500!) This will provide space for displaying activity information and contact details as well as parks watch emergency numbers.  

 

On order are two new picnic benches (plus)

We have ordered and paid for two very smart looking metal two picnic benches which will be installed on site later this year or early next year – we have to wait to have them made and installed.   They probably sit near the canal feeder overlooking the informal football. One will have wheel access, the other seat four persons.  The skateboarders asked for a couple of benches and bins, and we have been one bench short in the lower civic area for a long time – provisions to provide these have been made too. 

A sunny success – our first Birmingham Play Care Day

We held our first successful Birmingham Play Care Day www.bpcn.org.uk on 9 August.  This included a variety of different types of play such as paper lanterns, rocket making, hammock swinging, flying kites, imaginative exploring and music. Around 60 children or various ages came along with their parents may with picnics.  The Birmingham Play Care Day staff were wonderful in encouraging expression of play and enhanced everyone’s play experience, including us older kids too.  Thank you to those who helped and took part.  What was wonderful too was within a few minutes at the end the debris which was sprawled over park was scooped up and packed away.  You just wouldn’t have known they were there.

 

A great commitment from Friends  

Several Friends have been popping down to the park either as part of a small groups or individually at other times, they have been litter picking, weeding, helping clean the canal feeder, surveying trees, helping with events, talking and meeting with departments or organisations which might help us to access whether a wetland in the park is achievable.  If you fancy joining please email me email me our mobilephone number with your request to be contacted 

 

Start, stop and rethink potential wetland

Our hopes were high and our community survey at Kings Norton Festival showed you were as excited about the idea of a wetland in the old lily pond (former marl pit) as we were.  Guys from the Nature Improvement Area Fund helped surveyed the wildlife and took soil samples and gave a thumbs-up and we got excited.  Then the estimates came in which because of the need to erect safety rails to prevent falls or slips into unearthed silt or water were very high.  Somewhat deflated we picked ourselves up and redesigned a little which resulted in a minor improvement.  Funding opportunities for this type of project seem to be drying up a little and section 106 monies are allocated across the whole of the constituency.  Following recent maintenance costs of the play area we will have to be realistic in our expectations.  All is not lost yet.    

 

If you have any ideas of local businesses who may wish to part fund a hand rail, broad walk or dipping platform please email us or contact one of the Friends.

 

Wildflower meadow and Woodland Walk 2014

 

The Friends group does feel it has the capacity to care for a wildflower meadow in the playing fields so hopefully costs and can be worked out.  The NIA natural corridor survey also suggested we could enhance the woodland area top walk way during 2014, this will mean extracting brambles, spraying back and then planting attractive undergrowth and thinning the canopy of trees.

 

Remaining workouts & meets 2013 

Friday 1 November at 11 am

We will be joined by Sue Amey Parks Manager who is joining us to split and plant in one of the flower beds, Lee Copplestone from Keep Britian Tidy is looking at helping us to start sampling water
and Hannah NIA apprentice will pop along to catch up.

 

Allow a bit longer for this session if you can it will be well worth it.  Please join us.  We have tools and gloves meet in the car park unless it is raining.

 

Saturday 9 November 11am meeting
Kings Norton Library you are welcome to join us for an hour before popping over to the farmers market

 

Friday 6 December at 11am
Winter tidy and sampling.

You can join and make things happen

If you have ideas you want to put in action in our Park and Playing Fields with some assistance contact us and we can offer you support.   You determine what happens in your green spaces. 

Thank you for reading this update.  We hope to meet up with you soon.

 

CONTACT US:

Twitter @kingsnortonpark
Email   Info.foknp@gmail.com
Blog Spot with updates www.friendsofkingsnortonpark@gmail.com
Tweet us @kingsnortonpark
 

Learning to survey trees the Opal way

Trialing The Opal Tree Survey Packs

One  fresh beautiful sunny Friday morning in June, a small team of committee friends met to test out the newly arrived Opal Tree Survey Packs.

The Opal National Tree Survey runs until September and anyone can get involved.

Having previously read through the packs, which comprise of tree measuring tools, informative identification maps and a recording booklet, Chris Hughes Friends Environment Officer explained and then guided us through the step by step process.   Each survey takes around 40 minutes.

All agreeing it was safe to begin with an easy target we settled to survey the 200 year line of Oaks  Trees, the historic tythe map (1840) for Kings Norton shows the field in which they once stood was called Plum Fields, suggesting arable use of the land and the trees helped form a boundary line.

It all looked rather technical at first, but in practice, due to wonderful resources provided by Opal we whizzed through 2 surveys and felt assured we could share our experiences to encourage others to have a go.

The activities resulted in us viewing trees from different perspectives, underneath the canopy, close up to the trunk, at it roots and surrounding ground, from a long distance for general image to inspecting individual leaves.

Claire became quite attached to our tree, appreciating the warmth of the bark and Liz respecting its great stature.

Both our specimens we found to be extremely healthy so with continued care and appreciation from our community and City Parks, hopefully these two great fine Oaks, which have lived to through:

• monastic harvests
• tolls collected on our canals 
• the construction of Kings Norton Railway station
• manual to steam power to high technical advancements in industry
• Cotteridge trams to buses along the redditch road
• the milling of flour and corn replaced by an eatery and petrol station
• the birth of our Civic Park in 1924
• bombs dropping on Wychall Lane
• prefab houses erected along the upper section of Westhill Road 
• watched tennis games and bowls in our former courts

and continue to occupy their space majestically sharing their various degrees of beauty through all types of weather

and hopefully will stand to see our childrens' children and their grandchildren experience the benefits of spending time in Kings Norton Park.

Specimen 1

Our results so far have been shared with the Opal Survey

Results for Specimen 1:

Using identification route map = Oak Tree

Girth (around trunk) = 294 cm

Height = 10 m

Fresh healthy leaves, no browning or yellowing, no pests or diseases no holes in roots or trunk

Moss, Lichen and birds found.

Specimen 2

Specimen 2

Results for Specimen 2 :

Using identification route map = Oak Tree

Girth (around trunk) = 284 cm

Height = 11 m

Fresh healthy leaves, no browning or yellowing, no pests or diseases no holes in roots or trunk.  Signs of dead wood but few fallen leaves, less leaf cover.   Moss, Lichen and birds found.

The survey also provides information on how to report the most unwanted disease to the forestry tree alert.

Our surveying resulted in us seeing trees from different angles, underneath, from a distance, inspecting individual aspects ... we got quite attached!

We would like to survey as many trees as possible in or around our park and playing fields.

If you fancy having a go at carrying out a tree survey

We can talk you through the pack or have a go with you.

You can collect a pack or find out more on

• Friday 5 July at 11.30 am at our first Friday in the month workout or 
• talk to us at the Kings Norton Festival Stall on Saturday 13 July on The Green. 

More information on the Opal Survey at www.Opalexplorenature.org.

Perfect and Amazing Wild About Birds Event

Perfect weather!  Amazing Wild Birds!

This time the weather was really kind to us, it was just a perfect day, sunny with a gentle breeze, long awaited for after the dipping temperatures of April and May.

Cotswold Birds brought along beautiful specimens from the hawk, owl and eagle families and provided handling opportunities for all ages from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

The hi-light was a bird display at 1pm. Off too  a little shaky start as the first bird released was a little disorientated not realising she had left the Cotswold, unfortunately didn't return that day.  She was found the day after, safe and sound in the Wast Hills, a beautiful area on the Kings Norton Worcestershire border, along her flight path home.  Phew!

A hooded hawk was the next crowd pleasing performance.  It gave us an array of crowd pleasing sky diving hunting techniques soaring from great heights to snatch a tasty rodent treat from handler Mike periodically.  Whilst resting in the treats this hawk was harangued by several crows and magpies who gave an extremely noisy territorial display, the hawk very wisely decided not to stray!  Thank you Cotswold Falconry, the birds are obviously very well cared for and the handlers experts in their field, cheers Mike and Mrs Mike, you were both superb.

Lickey Hills Rangers, Steve and Adam worked their magic providing interesting and accessible environmental activities including a make shift bird hide and creations from wood.  Martyn and his colleague from the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds bought along nature books, bird song CD's and survey aids and those who joined were able to build bird boxes.  They spotted this quite rare Beetle Wasp, identified by Steve Hinton.  

Above is  Hannah, NIA apprentice making one of the bird boxes.  Hannah (above will help us later in the year accessing funding to the Nature Improvement Area Funding.

Our chosen charity for this event was the Hedgehog Charity, who set up in a garage in Bromsgrove talked to people about how to care for hedgehogs in their gardens, why we need to care them and what they are doing.

We asked our stall providers to give us a question each to create a quick quiz.  The prize a wonderful Hedgehog Cake, an albino or a brown hedgehog, created by Lynn and Beth

1. What is a baby Hedgehog called?
2. Name the egg in the nest?
3. How heavy is a Bold Eagle?

Two winning set answers 
Two winning sets of answers, below:

1.  Hog let  
2.  Ostrich  
3.  8 1/2 lbs

were pulled from a hat containing all the participants, who had been rewarded on entry with an animal shaped chocolate, were Charlie (trending sunglasses) pictured on the right with this mate below and Chloe pictured below.

The Friends of Kings Norton Tree and Park Trail was a huge success with many correct and interesting answers with some families riding their routes.

Thank you to everyone who came along, helped out and those who participated in the activities and everyone who had fun... and possibly an ice-cream too from Donatello's who provided ices and drinks.

If you would help arrange an activity or an event you are encouraged to contact us and we can work together to bring about the kind of things you and your family would like to see in our park.

This was a free event.   Membership is also free.  Donations are gratefully received.

Why not email your thoughts and experiences about the day and times spent in our park.  We can add you to our email circulation lists which advises of forthcoming events and planning news.

Email:  info.foknp@gmail.com

Tweet:  @kingsnortonpark

2013 Aspirations, plans and making it happen!

Date:  2 Aug 2013

Aspirations, plans and making it happen!

It all takes time but many hands make light work, get involved it can be fun.

The formal bit....  FoKNP Committee

Saturday meets at 11 am Kings Norton Library unless otherwise stated

•           2 March
•           18 May AGM  -  Start 11 am all welcome!
•           14 September
•           9 November

We will also arrange adhoc planning meetings from time to time, you can get involved email if you are interested.


FoKNP Committee members are:

Chair - Lynn Horsnett
Secretary - Dinny Weston
Treasurer - Lucy Horsnett
Environment - Chris Hughes
Young Persons - Andy Ryan
Cttee members:    Liz Wilson, Claire Simpson, Maggie Sweet

If you are interested in being a committee member please do not hestitate to contact us.


One off events so far... and what ever you wish to organise, we can support each other 

• 1 March – The Big Plant with Trees for Life and Kings Norton I&J School – success.
• 10 May - wetland wildlife survey (NIA) & clean up.  10.30 am - bring gloves and wellies!
• 1 June  – Wild About Birds 11.30am hedgehogs, Nat Trust, Cotswold Falconry, rangers
• 13 July – Kings Norton Festival/Farmers Market Activity Stall
• 9 August - National Play Day in Kings Norton Park
• 14 September - Farmers Market Help out
• October - Farmers Market Stall - consult on NIA and edible flower bed
• December - Winter Fayres

Regular hands on in the Park or Playing Fields .... Monthly Workouts  

11 am on the first Friday of each month meet in the car park weather permitting.  This is a suggested programme of workout activities which will act as a guide but may change according to priorities.
•           3 May – Canal Feeder tidying and weeding - bring loppers, clippers and gloves
•           7 June – Tree Survey, Flower meadow,
•           5 July –  Shrub beds, Tree Survey Top
•           2 Aug –  Playing Fields Canal Feeder & River Rea
•           6 Sept – Autumn tidy and planning wetland area
•           4 Oct –  Shrub Beds prune and split
•           8 Nov – Border areas practical & leaf collecting
•           6 Dec – Winter tidy up

We have met some people who weed or litter pick at their own convenience - many thanks to you, please keep up the good work!

Aspirations and focus... things we are working on in  2013

Below are things the Friends group have been working on recently and  – but don’t forget we can include the things you would help become a reality too, and with more help comes a wider focus.

•           Leaflet  - FoKNP leaflet (completed), needs a community wide circulation
•           A4A purchases – of equipment and resources - now underway
•           Bins, benches & notice board -  underway
•           Wild Bird Event – rescheduled event now on 1 June at 11.30am until 2.30pm
•           Trees  – plant standards & whips – completed. Explore tree trail funding
•           Tree Survey – Opal national survey packs - until September
•           Canal Feeder  –  cleaner (litter picked April), unclogged (partly April) & reduce weeds
•           Wetland – Survey with NIA 3 May. Apply for funding NIA & approach businesses
•           Storage facility – renovation funding, clean, recycling bins (playing fields) - Football teams
•           Shrub Beds – patch (1 bed), weed & mulch, cut back and separate shrubs in autumn
•           Wild Flower Meadow- more seeds (Feb) & cut and remove (autumn)
•           Bridges – explore funding following Wetland project

If you are interested in getting involved in the organising and planning of any of these particular aspects of the park please drop us an email.

info.foknp@gmail.com
@kingsnortonpark

AGM - Officers and agreed priorities 2013

What we did at our AGM on 18 May 13

Elected the following officers 2013/14

Chair:   Lynn Horsnett

Secretary:   Dinny Weston 

Treasurer:  Lucy Horsnett

Environment:  Chris Hughes

Young members:  Andy Ryan (pending acceptance)

Committee members for 2013/14:  

Liz Wilson,  Claire Simpson, Maggie Sweet & 1 vacancy

             

 Remember you don't have to be on the Committee to have your say or get involved . 

Email info.foknp@gmail.com

We recognised all the wonderful things done so far and said thank-you

Refurbishing play area, restoring Civic Garden, shrub and tree planting, establishing a flower meadow, new benches, new bins, 1920's event, activities with schools, mass litter picking, linking up with Birmingham Spaces Forum, Gap project support with National Trust,  Willow work with Millennium Fields Trust, cleaning canal feeder,  supporting Canals and Rivers Trust to clean Kings Norton, etc.     

We thank everyone for everything you do   

We are aware some people regularly clean our park and tidy our beds in their own time outside of our workouts - a big thank you, and of course we should thank workers from Birmingham City Parks and the Canals and River Trust who tend to the majority of parks works throughout the year, thank you.  We recognised those who helped to fund us last year - Big Lottery, West Midlands Police, Community Chest and membership donations. 

We discussed our priorities for remainder of 2013

Investigating the creation of a wetland area 

The site identified was a former lily pond , an historic marl pit and other natural areas hopefully to be funded by the Nature Improvement Fund.  Initial positive surveys have taken place but there are many barriers to overcome.  We will work with Simon Atkinson, Hannah and James from NIA.   You are welcome to get involved with this project if you wish. 

 Spending our lottery award by November 2013      

In Includes events packs, environmental equipment, aids, tools, noticeboards, protective clothing, 

wild about birds event, etc. 

Refurbishing the Pod

This is a metal storage and hopefully future meeting facility on playing fields. 

It will be shared with the Football Teams and Community Police. 

There will electricity, toilets and recycling bins - the football teams are doing lots of work to identify funding.

Maintaining Shrub beds

Replenishing, weeding, mulching, pruning Lower Civic Garden beds this autumn.  

Need shrubs tolerant of water in beds 3 & 4.

Wild About Birds Event

To put on an event opening activity in the park, includes Cotswold Birds of Prey, RSPB, Hedghog Charity, Lickey Hub rangers team and parks activities. 

Opal Tree Survey

To complement the focus on tree planting we hope to survey our main trees and contribute our findings to the national Opal tree survey which runs from May to Sept 2013.  

100 packs had been sent by Adam Bates.  We hope to work with local groups or schools. 

Canal Feeder Bridges

A section 106 funding principle had been previously made.  Our intention is to pursue as the bridges are in very poor condition.   This work will only be completed with the support of our elected representatives; Steve Bedser, Valerie Seabright and Peter Griffiths and our constituency parks manager, Sue Amey as well as volunteers. 

History Trail

Working with the Lifford Business Association, Kings Norton History Society and Kings Norton Nature to produce a circular history trail starting from The Green, walking through the park, along the nature reserve.  This will be walk number 4, of a set which cost £1 each and can be purchased from shops on The Green.  This should be available late summer early autumn. 

              Join in and take the steps towards making the things you want to see in our Park happen.

Contact us at :  info.foknp@gmail.com

Keeping the Park Clean 1st Friday in month 11.30am

Can you spare an hour on a Friday morning to help litter pick in Kings Norton Park?   It would be super if you could.

           Meet us in the car park bring gloves and pickers if you have them, if not you can borrow ours.

            We aim to clean-up where litter has become ingrained over a period of time.  
     We meet on the first Friday of each month at 11.30 am.
We also do other things like plant, survey and plan events and activities. 

Some of the volunteers removing rubbish along Canal Feeder

Removing rubbish embedded in copper hedges

Future Events

Friday 7 June - workout in park at 11.30am

Saturday 13 July Kings Norton Festival Activity Stall 11.30am

              Also see our Aspirations, Plans and Making it Happen article last updated 28 April 2013 and
our AGM report back.

Contact us at :   info.foknp@gmail.co.uk

Tweet:  @kingsnortonpark