FRIENDS of MANOR FARM PARK

One major accomplishment from 2010/2011 has been the erection of new Community Notice Boards at park entrances and at the south end of the Lake.

Lesley Pattenson, the Committee Member who took the lead on this project, is seen here showing the rear of the board at the Lovell Close entrance.

As an improvement on the old method of displaying information for park users - laminated A4 posters attached to lamp posts and bridge wings, for instance, the new notice boards are an attractive and appealing advance.

As well as having space for people from other organizations to display their own leaflets, flyers or posters, there will be interchangeable boards offering information about the fauna and flora to be seen in the park. Lesley is working on the design of these boards with one of the more knowledgable Association members.

It has to be noted that getting these boards designed, constructed and erected on site has been no easy task. Lesley cannot be thanked enough for her tireless and tenacious pursuit of this goal; spending many hours on the telephone and at meetings, dealing with some 300 + emails and making several visits to the Lickey Hub.

One of the main obstacles to progress on the project, which should really have been completed as early as August/September 2010, has been the upheaval in the Parks Departments staffing structure. These changes caused a breakdown in communication, leading to a misunderstanding of our design needs, so the first consignment of Marine ply was cut to the wrong dimensions.

Having to order more timber, go through even more negotiations about what was required, wait for it to be delivered and cut to the correct sizes, before going to look at the result, added ever more time to the already overdue date for siting and erection.

We think everyone will agree that it was worth all the effort. These notice boards are a positive indication of what can be achieved by Friends' Associations and similar organizations working together with the BCC.

Photographs © DAB-P 2011-12 

Below is a photograph of the new Main Entrance Sign.

Although constructed by BCC, the design and content are the work of the Friends.