Come and meet the Friends (and AGM)

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We are inviting those with an interest in Lowndes Park to come and meet the Friends of Lowndes Park over a glass of wine (and some nibbles) at 7.30 at the Town Hall on Thursday 17th of November. We want to use the event to discuss the council’s proposals for the Playground and how the Friends hope to get involved. We have also invited Peter Hawkes to display some of his images of the park from the turn of the 19th/20th Century. This will be an opportunity to join the Friends or maybe get involved in the park.

What’s Happening With The Playground?

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The playground: you know it, we know it, and the Council knows it – all the equipment is broken or needs replacing. Chesham Town Council have taken a survey of public opinion and are now ready to move forward with the next step in this project. And they have asked us to get involved. It’s going to take some fundraising! Why not come along to our meeting (we are going to sneak the AGM in as well, and wine and nibbles) to find out more!

Sensory Garden gets a new look – we need plants!

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The wonderful Sensory Garden along the main avenue of Lowndes Park is getting a new look!

But we need your help. Plants aren’t cheap, and as you know, our team of volunteers are creating the garden in their free time. So, to stock it with beautiful scented and tactile plants, we need donations.

Our incredible team of gardening volunteers are stripping out the old to make way for the new.

If you have any plants you’d like to donate, or if you’d like to join the team in creating the new sensory garden, please contact Joan Clark on 01494 783035 or Phil Folly on 01494 783691.

Bring plants and join the fun at the next Lowndes Park working party on 14th November between 10am and 12pm.

AGM – for members. Sunday 8th September. 2pm

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Members are invited to our Annual General Meeting

Come and find out about our achievements, our plans and have your say in the park’s future.

In the spirit of change, we are for the first time in our twelve year history going to hold our AGM in Lowndes Park – we hope that as many of you as possible will be able to join us.

For those of you who are new to our AGM our Chair, Michael Rowan, has a record of keeping these to an hour. Each AGM comes with his personal guarantee that you will be free to enjoy the rest of your day after 60 minutes!

Should the weather prevent us from meeting in the park we have arranged to meet in the Guide Hut.

We thought that it might be nice to offer a glass of wine or cordial to our members so that after the meeting we might get to know one another and if the weather is nice then you could bring a picnic and stay in the park a bit longer.

We look forward to seeing you there.
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Scottowes Pond needs a clean up

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Help! The pond is dying and needs your help!

Skottowes Pond was dug out in the early 18th Century and it’s in desperate need of cleaning up. The pond is approximately 120m long and 40m at its widest point, with concrete edging and a path running around its entire edge. Water is supplied by a borehole, licensed by the Environment Agency, which feeds the pond’s fountain. The pond water feeds into the the River Chess

The problem:

  • The run-off from the main road through Chesham, running adjacent to the pond, means the pond has been contaminated with what is now considered toxic waste. This silt could be removed, but the costs are stratospheric. We are looking into alternatives to cover the silt.
  • Water levels in the pond have lowered due to the silting and there is a lack of aquatic vegetation for wildlife.
  • The pond is overly dominated with domestic geese that have been abandoned in the park. In a recent survey of the park, over 60% of respondents said that the wildfowl populations were too high. In consultation with the Friends of Lowndes Park, park users referred to the fact that they didn’t eat lunch near the pond as they were harassed by the geese and some parents didn’t take their children there because of the proliferation of goose excrement.
  • The island has been eroded by overuse caused by the proliferation of mostly domestic fowl.
  • There is little or no aquatic planting to encourage wildlife.
  • The path around the pond is deteriorating and is in need of repair. The footpath along the western side of the pond is narrow and this can make it difficult for people to pass other path users.

Our Plans:

We are encouraging the Council to work with us to follow the masterplan and progress the renovation of Skottowes Pond. We will be applying for grants and raise donations for the work. There is also a policy for waterfowl management that has been drafted by the Council and will be developed in consultation with the public.

In addition we’d love to:

  • Improve access around the pond
  • Suppress the silt
  • Establish an area of aquatic planting to encourage greater biodiversity in the pond area
  • Stabilise the island, replant and create more foliage cover

If you can help, please donate or get involved.
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