2020; Lottery Bid Presentation & The Year We Realise the Importance of Green Spaces

Hands up, I’ll admit to having deserted my scribings on our website over the last few months. It’s been a hard one to focus on, hence most of our postings have been on our Facebook page.

The year 2020 has been one hell of a ride so far. We are all living through something previously unimaginable, life changing, that’ll go down in world history much the same as the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.

As far as our Friends of Radipole Park and Gardens committee are concerned it has been a bit of an unknown. Watching and waiting for news of lockdown/slow release/ things permitted/possibility of re lockdown etc.

Sadly, we have finally come to the decision now that there is no way this year that we can responsibly hold any events in our beautiful gardens.

We had high hopes of a cracking and HUGE event on this years August Big Fun Day, because by then we would have known if our lottery bid was successful.

 

But some things have still been going on behind the scenes. Our presentation to the lottery board was an interesting event. What should have been a real life tour of the park and gardens, showing the judges our visions and creating a working relationship with them, followed by a presentation and question and answers session was compacted down to a sterile 2 hour online meeting.

Just how do you covey the magical essence of a garden by written text, still images and spoken word?

How can judges fully assess it’s impact on those real people walking its paths and playing on field or sports courts?

How do you channel your enthusiasm to another being on a flat screen?

But it was what it was. Covid19 dictates it so.

Our team batted brilliantly, led out by Jane Biscombe (Weymouth Town Clerk) and Rosie Osbourne (our parks development officer) . We well and truly fought our corner, fielded questions to the boundary and back and hopefully we have done enough to convince the board that Radipole park and gardens deserves to become so much more than it is already.

A playground like no other, a cafe and toilets which will also become a hub for the community, meeting place for volunteers, sharing the parks history and heritage. Sensory garden that will bring people together, through working in it or simply sitting and enjoying the space. Widening the scope for sports facilities. With wildlife and nature high on our agenda there will be plenty for people of all ages and abilities to get down and dirty.

Watch this space for news of our bid, we should know by the end of June.

As horrendous as this pandemic has been it has also highlighted something we already knew.

For our physical and mental wellbeing, our green spaces are vital!

When safe we WILL be back filling the park and gardens with events, entertainment, fun and laughter as soon as it is allowed.

Until then stay safe and stay alert.