Thousands of people enjoy Devonport Park every year – but it hasn’t always been like that.
The Park was originally developed in Queen Victoria’s reign and was dedicated to the people of the city. Sadly, during the 90s and early 2000s it fell into neglect and was generally avoided by the local population as a result.
In 2006, a successful bid to the National Lottery by Plymouth City Council resulted in a grant of £3.6m for its restoration. Part of the remit for the project was to form a Friends group of volunteers that could assist with the future maintenance and development of the park for the local community.
Still going strong, the Friends of Devonport Park Gardening Team were part of that group. Every year a team of dedicated enthusiasts toil away, endlessly pulling weeds and replanting areas. So successful has this team been that in 2012 they were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary groups.
Over the years many projects have been undertaken by the volunteers, including the enhancement of the planting in the sensory garden with the building of a wheelchair friendly set of raised beds. Pop up allotments for vegetable growing in the form of wooden planters that can be harvested by anyone who wishes to have also been installed. Wildlife surveys listing the plants, animals and birds that can be found in the park and special plantings for the Mayflower celebrations are just some of the past and ongoing activities.
Free training sessions are offered, that are open to anyone, dealing with a range of topics from pruning techniques to designing the annual bedding displays. These can be attended by appointment and are often repeated giving a memory jogging, reinforcement of skills.
The volunteers come from all walks of life and are there for various reasons. Some just enjoy the social side and the special trips organised, others to avoid social isolation and to give some structure to the week. The group meets every Monday from 10am until 3pm at the training centre by the lodge. This is just opposite the Brickfields through the large iron gates.
Anyone who would like to be part of this amazing group and could give a few hours each week or occasionally then they would be pleased to hear from them. Contact can be made via the group’s a Facebook Page or by e-mailing Mike Gallagher at plymouthdevonportpark@gmail.com.
autumn
