Friends of Preston Park

Friends of Preston Park (FoPP) volunteers have already been very busy cleaning up the park this year and it’s still only March.

Following on from our early litter pick in February, FoPP joined forces with the Brighton & Hove City Council Tidy Up Team for another litter pick that saw over 35 bags of rubbish collected!

Whilst I am proud of our volunteers, it is quite shocking that we were able to collect that much, including a couple of childrens bicycles and some abandoned pipe!

The team were also able to give the gardeners’ huts a paint over to cover the graffiti. It is all looking much better in the sun after that.

Thank you to council officer, Garry Meyer for getting the Tidy Up Team involved. And we hope to see them again later in the year if others want to get involved.

If residents are interested in helping to clean up around the city they can sign up via the council website to Garry’s Tidy Up Team. It mostly involves litter picking but there are often painting jobs as well.

Additionally, FoPP organised a path clearance day this week. Unfortunately, only a small group made it along, but they did a sterling job of clearing the steps in between the old bowling greens. Others completed another litter pick around the recycling bins near the Rose Garden.

We will continue to advertise days to do this kind of thing throughout the year so if you are interested, please sign up to FoPP to receive further information. It is free to join and keeps members updated on what is happening in Preston Park. We also try to signpost events elsewhere if they are nature or community inclusive.

Our next event will be the Brighton Miles event on 11 April aimed at encouraging children to be more active. The event is free and inclusive.

FoPP volunteers braved the super wet weather this weekend for a very successful litter pick in Preston Park.

The area near the recycling bins near the southern end of the Rose Garden was an area of particular interest as so much rubbish had accumulated in the bushes.

Over 10 bags of rubbish were cleared! Well done to everyone who came. Your efforts are hugely appreciated.

Our next event in the park will be the Great Preston Park Path Spring Clean on Saturday 21 March, 10.30 – 13.00. Volunteers will meet near the outdoor gym, south of the tennis courts. Please bring your own gloves, but tools will be provided.

Sunday, Mar 15 from 11 am to 2 pm

Book tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/preston-park-great-british-springclean-tickets-1982444994344?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please bring a pair of gloves!

A year ago, in January 2025, Phase 2 of the refurbishment of the Rose Garden started with 250 new roses replacing the old and ailing ones on the west and east outer beds. In November 2025 the two central round beds were replanted, and we added the new rose, the King’s Rose, to the Rosemoor bed by the pond. The replanting was made possible owing to the generosity of David Austin Roses, the rose grower, who donated the roses, as well as fertiliser two years running. FoPP purchased the King’s Rose and Buckingham Rose Soil from Bury Hill Landscape Supplies in Horsham. 

The volunteers were treated to two complementary David Austin Roses pruning workshops, where they also gleaned many pieces of advice on how to look after shrub roses all year long.

Looking after hundreds of roses is a mammoth task and volunteers meet every Tuesday to weed, deadhead, prune, edge, and fertilise according to the season. We are also greatly helped by our Rangers who bring in their team of volunteers, as well as companies and schools who organise volunteering days for their staff and pupils. Our resident CityParks groundsmen are always happy to give a helping hand, especially when we have to dig clay and chalk for planting. 

We started pruning in December 2025 and once pruning is over, feeding and mulching the Rose Garden in Spring is our next big task. Mulch will slow down weed growth, lock the moisture in the soil and help the roses thrive. FoPP will supply the mulch.

Preston Park Rose Garden is one of the largest public rose gardens left in the country and its survival is only due to the relentless work of the volunteers who look after it all year round and the generosity of David Austin Roses. It is a much-loved place by the residents and visitors who enjoy the beauty of the blooms and scent and it has been awarded Level 5 Outstanding by South and Southeast in Bloom in September 2025.

So, why not joining our dedicated team of volunteers on Tuesdays 10-1pm. No gardening knowledge needed, just a pair of gloves and an urge to help us maintain this beautiful community space.

NB Residents may have noticed that the Community Book Swap Box has been removed from the Rose Garden. This is due to continual vandalism. We now have a book swap bookcase in the Rotunda Café. We are hoping to put a box back in the Rose Garden at a later date in the new year.