AGM 2017
Held at 7.30pm on Thursday 15 June at the Bestwood Lodge Hotel
Friends of Bestwood Country Park: Chair’s report prepared for the
Annual General Meeting on June 15th 2017
This year sees the group celebrating its 10th year.
The group has come a long way since Roger Williams, Gill, Margret and a small team began a civil disobedience campaign in the face of planned cuts to the ranger service ten years ago. This civil disobedience tradition may go some way to explain why the meetings of the Friends are so difficult for a chair to manage.
That the group has continued for ten years shows how important Bestwood Country Park is in many people’s lives.
The commitment in the last year has included:
- The use of the new container sited close to the Dynamo House. This is currently used for much-needed storage but we hope to make more of it in the future.
- The website managed by Kay Brown remains a key first contact point for many users of the park and a valued method for getting news out about the park. The new banner we have purchased will be used to raise our profile at the many events the group attends and supports.
- Dynamo House cafe volunteers have continued to offer a wonderful service at weekends. Our thanks to all those who serve or make cakes or are otherwise involved. We plan a small ‘celebration event’ for all involved.
- The Winding Engine House volunteers too give their time generously to bring the history of Bestwood powerfully alive for many visitors.
- A special thanks to the long-serving Monday and Thursday volunteers whose work makes such a difference to the fabric of the park.
- This year we have set-up the Bestwood Wildlife Group whose aim is to record and celebrate the wildlife in the park.
A welcomed part of the dialogue between park users, local authority officers and elected members has been the continuation of the Development Group. The group has not met since the recent county council elections. We hope it will resume soon.
All FOBCP members will join me in saying a special thanks to county council officers Sue Mc Donald and Laura Simpson. We value their commitment and huge efforts as we do all of those staff employed to manage and maintain the park.
Proposed changes to the management of the park have taken the lion’s share of officer and meeting time this year. We have devoted much time to scrutinizing the proposals. Derek Higton has regularly attended meetings as have other officers of both the county and borough councils. Officers were pleased to attend the meeting of Notts County Culture Committee when the proposal to move grounds management of the park to Gedling BC was sanctioned - as we were pleased that members used our letter to them as the basis for discussion.
To the outside observer, progress towards the new regime has appeared glacial with a number of our key concerns still not resolved. The full transfer to Gedling has still not occurred. FOBCP will make monitoring the new arrangements a priority.
Our special park will only remain if those who are passionate about it continue. As chair, I would like to place on record my thanks to everyone positively involved with Bestwood Country Park in the past year. Whosoever manages the park, it is our park and our voice in support of our green space will be loud and clear.
Going through all of the above like "Skegness" through a stick of rock, is one name - Gill Costello, our treasurer. For me, only Nell Gwynne has had more influence in Bestwood. Gill’s commitment to our country park is overwhelming and immense. Little happens in the park without Gill’s knowledge. Those who receive her legendary and, at times, unmanageable welter of emails, texts and phone calls know what a phenomenal passion she has for the park. It is true to say that without Gill, our park would have been immeasurably poorer. We all have a debt of gratitude to you Gill.
So, as we look forward to Gills next ten years we take this opportunity to say a public ‘thank you’.
This small gift of planters is our thank you Gill from all involved with Bestwood Country Park.
You are a treasure.
Rob Carlyle
Annual General Meeting on June 15th 2017
This year sees the group celebrating its 10th year.
The group has come a long way since Roger Williams, Gill, Margret and a small team began a civil disobedience campaign in the face of planned cuts to the ranger service ten years ago. This civil disobedience tradition may go some way to explain why the meetings of the Friends are so difficult for a chair to manage.
That the group has continued for ten years shows how important Bestwood Country Park is in many people’s lives.
The commitment in the last year has included:
- The use of the new container sited close to the Dynamo House. This is currently used for much-needed storage but we hope to make more of it in the future.
- The website managed by Kay Brown remains a key first contact point for many users of the park and a valued method for getting news out about the park. The new banner we have purchased will be used to raise our profile at the many events the group attends and supports.
- Dynamo House cafe volunteers have continued to offer a wonderful service at weekends. Our thanks to all those who serve or make cakes or are otherwise involved. We plan a small ‘celebration event’ for all involved.
- The Winding Engine House volunteers too give their time generously to bring the history of Bestwood powerfully alive for many visitors.
- A special thanks to the long-serving Monday and Thursday volunteers whose work makes such a difference to the fabric of the park.
- This year we have set-up the Bestwood Wildlife Group whose aim is to record and celebrate the wildlife in the park.
A welcomed part of the dialogue between park users, local authority officers and elected members has been the continuation of the Development Group. The group has not met since the recent county council elections. We hope it will resume soon.
All FOBCP members will join me in saying a special thanks to county council officers Sue Mc Donald and Laura Simpson. We value their commitment and huge efforts as we do all of those staff employed to manage and maintain the park.
Proposed changes to the management of the park have taken the lion’s share of officer and meeting time this year. We have devoted much time to scrutinizing the proposals. Derek Higton has regularly attended meetings as have other officers of both the county and borough councils. Officers were pleased to attend the meeting of Notts County Culture Committee when the proposal to move grounds management of the park to Gedling BC was sanctioned - as we were pleased that members used our letter to them as the basis for discussion.
To the outside observer, progress towards the new regime has appeared glacial with a number of our key concerns still not resolved. The full transfer to Gedling has still not occurred. FOBCP will make monitoring the new arrangements a priority.
Our special park will only remain if those who are passionate about it continue. As chair, I would like to place on record my thanks to everyone positively involved with Bestwood Country Park in the past year. Whosoever manages the park, it is our park and our voice in support of our green space will be loud and clear.
Going through all of the above like "Skegness" through a stick of rock, is one name - Gill Costello, our treasurer. For me, only Nell Gwynne has had more influence in Bestwood. Gill’s commitment to our country park is overwhelming and immense. Little happens in the park without Gill’s knowledge. Those who receive her legendary and, at times, unmanageable welter of emails, texts and phone calls know what a phenomenal passion she has for the park. It is true to say that without Gill, our park would have been immeasurably poorer. We all have a debt of gratitude to you Gill.
So, as we look forward to Gills next ten years we take this opportunity to say a public ‘thank you’.
This small gift of planters is our thank you Gill from all involved with Bestwood Country Park.
You are a treasure.
Rob Carlyle
