Radipole Park and Gardens Project Newsletter #1 – September 2020
At the beginning of August, we were given permission to start the very exciting Radipole Park and Gardens Project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.
The total cost of the project is £1.4 million and will see major improvements to the park and gardens, including the installation of a new heritage café, toilets, upgraded play area and sports facilities, sensory garden, resurfacing and new pathways which will make the park more accessible to everyone. We cannot wait to get the project manager and design team on board to start preparing detailed plans for it all!
Next month, a new apprentice will join the gardener in Radipole Park, where they will gain valuable experience and skills whilst training at Kingston Maurward College towards a Horticultural and Landscape Operative standard qualification awarded by The Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE). This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn whilst working on the job.
The secretary of the Friends of Radipole Park is busy collating information and photographs in preparation for the Hidden Heritage Archive Resource. This will be displayed in the heritage café and also be available as a digital version online. If anyone has any photographs or memories, old or new, that they would like to share of Radipole Park and Gardens, please contact Sue Hogben at radipoleparkandgardensfriends@gmail.com. This is your chance to go down in history!
On the topic of history, we attended the Weymouth & Portland Heritage Roadshow at Nothe Fort on Sunday 20th September. It was a brilliant day where people could come and learn about local history. Many people visited our heritage tent, finding out about the project and learning about Radipole Park’s fascinating history. The event was ticket only so that social distancing could be maintained at all times.
The Friends of Radipole Park are keen to recruit new members. This is a great opportunity to get involved in your local park at a time when big changes are happening! If you would like to find out more about the Friends Group and what they do, please email radipoleparkandgardensfriends@gmail.com
This month, people attending the Health Walks have had great success walking in Radipole Park and Gardens. Each of the four groups were led by a qualified walk leader and had a maximum of five walkers to keep in line with the new “rule of six” regulations.
If you would like to book a place on the walk, please contact the bookings manager between 9am and 1pm weekdays by phoning 01305 239314 or emailing healthwalks@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk
We look forward to updating you in the next few months. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the Activities Officer, Rosie Osborne rosieosborne@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk
Best wishes,
Radipole Park and Gardens Project Team
Jane Biscombe (Project Lead)
Rosie Osborne (Activities Officer)
Mike Goulden (Chair of the FRPAG)
Sue Hogben (Secretary of FRPAG)
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