norfolk-park.com

[claire]

FONHP Response to negative letter in Star Newspaper dated 23rd December 2004

We are very pleased that the “Park User” visits Norfolk Heritage Park but we would like to set the record straight regarding the contents of that letter. Graves Park Café has been closed due to renovation. The Café may have been busy but “thousands of people” using that park weekly is a slight exaggeration!

The Friends of Norfolk Heritage Park were formed in 1995 to protect the park from decline and mis-use. The Friends group together with the Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Wildlife Trust and other community partners worked on a successful Heritage Lottery Bid of £2.4 million awarded in 1997. This, along with match funding, has helped to restore the park to a biodiverse, educational, sustainable, community resource and helps to maintain this Grade II listed landscape.

The Centre in the Park is the result of extensive community consultation and was purpose built to meet the various needs of the local population. This includes a community run (not Council run) Crèche and Café, provision for evening youth clubs, meeting and conference facilities and a base for the East Ranger Team. The Centre in the Park is utilised daily for a number of events from Agewell lunch clubs and school visits, to an array of community activities, training courses and major national conferences.

As part of the regeneration of Norfolk Heritage Park the new Sports Pavilion has now been completed, the Multi Use Games Area in the park is due to be improved in Spring 2005. The Sports Pavilion is situated adjacent to the bowling greens and will be available for use soon. We are planning an official Sports Pavilion opening in the spring, when everyone will be welcome to come and look at its facilities. We hope that this summer, sports equipment will be available for hire from the new pavilion, by the many visitors to the park. All these developments are part of final stage in the restoration of the park.

Norfolk Heritage Park has a varied annual events programme, which includes, for children, very well attended seasonal park events, a monthly Wildlife Watch Group, Sports Van and Cycling Proficiency courses. Promoting health issues is very much at the forefront of activities in the park this includes our annual International Women’s Day Celebration, Walk in the Park event (in aid of Diabetes UK) and weekly Health Walks followed by free Tai Chi classes. In addition to this for the last three years we have helped in the organisation of Sheffield Fayre, which has attracted over 25,000 people annually.

Lastly, we are also pleased to see how many local people visit the park regularly simply for a walk, a bit of fresh air, to meet friends or enjoy the fabulous views of the city.

We know that Norfolk Heritage Park is not perfect and mistakes have been made along the way. Constructive comments are always welcomed and action taken where appropriate. Our group along with the Parks, Woodlands and Countryside Section of Sheffield City Council are continually striving for excellence.