South Park Gardens, Wimbledon SW19

History

About the Friends (Please click on the images to enlarge them)

For most of the 1990s the Gardens was in an increasingly poor state and was deteriorating. It was becoming a matter of concern for local residents.They became used to having to call out the police to deal with groups of people in the Gardens after dark, being noisy and anti-social. The Council took some decisions about maintenance of the Gardens – taking away permanent on-site staff, not locking it at night and neglecting the boundary fence.

This led to a general decline and the Gardens became a no-go area after dark. The chain link fencing was increasingly subject to vandalism. By the 1990’s it was in such poor state that in 1992 new ornamental gates were fitted to three of the entrances in a bid to improve the general aesthetic. Unfortunately the gates to the main entrance in Trinity Road were stolen in 2001 and this event acted as a catalyst for local residents to set up the Friends of South Park Gardens. 150 people attended its inaugural meeting and it was decided they would work with the Council to deal with issues such as security, the state of the fencing and dog mess.

The Friends of South Park Gardens was set up in 2002 in response to local residents’ concerns over safety and maintenance issues in the Gardens. The group is very active and now comprises of over 500 members and supporters.

Within months it had galvanised many people into action. Its membership quickly grew to around 300 people. It became a registered charity and started campaigning and fund-raising and lobbying the Council to take appropriate action.

The Council responded and agreed to bring back permanent maintenance staff and started to repair the fencing. However it recognised that a better boundary would be needed and that the gates should be locked at night in order to make the Gardens secure. Members of the Friends group undertook to hold keys and open the Gardens in the morning and this arrangement continues now and works very well. The Gardens are generally open by 6am.

The Friends of South Park Gardens (FSPG) is an incorporated association and registered charity. The Executive Committee of the Friends Group meets every 2 months or so and has an AGM every year.

What The Friends do

Events

The Friends of South Park Gardens currently organise a number of events throughout the year. The events are well attended, attracting between 300 and 500 people, and include:

An Easter egg hunt, aimed at children up to 7 years old, sponsored by a local business, and attended by over 300 people. This usually takes place on the Sunday before Easter. The Easter Bunny also attends it.
An annual ‘Picnic in the Park’ event held in May or June regularly attended by over 300 local residents. This is now in its 33rd year, having been started by local residents to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee in 1977. People wheel their barbecues over to the Gardens, have picnics and take part in races, tug of war and other activities. The event culminates at 4pm with tea and home-made cakes, which are donated by local residents.
An annual fireworks and bonfire party, held on a Saturday near to 5 November. This event is aimed at young children and families and uses low noise fireworks. The numbers are limited which makes it small-scale as a contrast to other Council run displays, which are huge and can be frightening for small children. There is children’s face painting and art activity stalls and the Friends sell hot dogs, glow sticks, mulled wine and soft drinks. Tickets are very much in demand and the event sells out within days of going on sale.

As well as the events and fund-raising, the Friends are continuing to lobby the Council and have been intensely involved in the production of the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, which was successful. The Friends Group and the Council are now working well together and there seems to be a much-needed synergy between the organisations. The restoration of the Gardens is now underway.

The Friends Group is contributing £20,000 towards the improvements and is hoping to raise more money to support events and activities that are complementary to the programme proposed in the bid. For example the Local History Group is currently preparing the text for a brochure about the Gardens, to be produced by the Friends and this will complement the trail leaflets and educational schools’ materials.

The Friends group regularly produces a newsletter, called the South Parker, which is always distributed to members and sometimes is delivered door-to-door to most of Trinity ward. It gives up to date news about the Gardens, reports on past activities and events and advertises future events.

The Friends Group helps to maintain this web site, which promotes the Gardens and the Friends and gives details of events. The Council has a link from its website to the Friends website. The Friends Group is an active member of the Friends’ Forum, which meets up 2/3 times a year and brings together representatives from all the Friends Groups in the Borough.