Author: Pax Barnard

Once again, the Friends of Preston Park (FoPP) held their annual AGM at St Peter’s Cricket Clubhouse. Following on from usual business, the Chair, Kerry Pickett gave a run down on events held within the park over the past year and provided an impression of what might be expected for 2024. Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and to offer advice regarding possible future events. Treasurer, Janet Laing also presented an update on FoPP’s current financial position.

We took the opportunity to announce this year’s winners of the photographic competition which was based around the subject of trees. We had some amazing submissions, and it took quite an effort to choose. However, the general public voted on what they appreciated and so first place went to Neil Jakeman, second to Jimmy Guest and third place to, Victoria Jenkins. Copies of the winners’ photos are below and will be displayed outside the Chalet Café in Preston Park.   

Finally, we had Dr Danahar, a local biodiversity educationalist, to give us a presentation on butterfly conservation. Dan has led a number of local initiatives within the city of Brighton & Hove, including persuading the public to count butterflies, which in turn inspired the national charity Butterfly Conservation to develop the Big Butterfly Count.

He has also introduced Butterfly Havens as a habitat restoration approach for chalk grassland butterflies, giving the public access to nature on their doorsteps. Local examples include the bank between Varndean College and Dorothy Stringer, as well the land to the north of Varndean college. However, Dan’s work is also international in nature. He is Executive Trustee of the charitable company Big Nature – www.bignature.co.uk, which aims to revitalise the relationship between people and their local wildlife by creating natural habitats within the UNESCO designated Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere region (The Living Coast).

Dan was able to outline the beginnings of his work and how he envisages it expanding should the current political climate and will, allow it. For more information on Dan’s work please visit: http://the scientific23.com/interview or look him up on YouTube. We thank Dan for taking time to visit us and explain the hugely important work that he is doing.

The committee will meet early in 2024 to discuss possible events for the year. A new poster will be created and displayed on the website and on the boards in Preston Park. Anyone interested in volunteer gardening or donating to our community cause can do so on the FoPP website: friendsofprestonpark.org

Grants of up to £25,000 can be applied for as part of a new funding initiative to help kickstart habitat creation for wildlife.

ReNature Grants will help projects that showcase positive management for nature in the community. Projects could creating wildflower meadows, heathland, hedgerow, areas managed as chalk grassland, more natural rivers or dewponds. The grants can also be used to improve existing habitat, such as improving rivers and streams.

Funding of between £2,000 and £25,000 can be applied for from the South Downs Trust, the official independent charity for the National Park. Sites must be within the National Park boundary and not managed for nature, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Local Authorities, parish councils, community-interest companies, charities, and constituted voluntary groups are invited to apply.

The scheme is part of the National Park’s ReNature campaign, which is seeking to create 13,000 hectares of new habitat – an area over three times the size of Portsmouth – by 2030 to help tackle biodiversity loss in the UK. Victoria Crespi, Grants Officer for the National Park, said: “We’re really excited to be launching this new grants initiative to bring a boost for wildlife conservation. There are lots of organisations out there that might be interested in getting involved in the ReNature campaign and have land that could become a haven for nature. A grant could be the stepping stone to putting those ideas into action and making a real difference. Applications will be judged on their proposed outcomes for biodiversity, value for money and ongoing management of the site, as well as community outcomes. A grant panel will decide on applications over £5,000.”

Applications close at midnight on Friday, 15 December 2023. Find out more and apply here.

The FoPP opened their Rose Garden Community Book Swap Box this week. The aim of the box is to encourage residents to take a book and either return it or replace it with another book. We have a number of LGBTQIA+ books and would like to thank and recommend  Kemptown Bookshop for their help and for giving us a good deal on some lovely new books. If anyone has a large group of books to donate please contact us at: info@friendsofprestonpark.org

It is hoped that we will also have a children’s book swap in place soon. So please come along and get reading!

(Please note that the box has been temporarily removed as we had a problem with the door. It will be back in place shortly.)

The consultation for the proposed Outdoor Gym by the back of the tennis courts at Preston Park will be running from 23rd October – 1st December.

Here is the link to the consultation: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/preston-park-outdoor-gym

Residents joined Friends of Preston Park recently in Preston Park for a bat walk experience. Nick Lane and Ranger Marie Ingledew were on hand to explain the habits of a variety of native and non-native bats whilst we used bat sound detectors to try and identify those living within the park grounds. Unfortunately, the weather was rather damp and many of our bat friends decided to hide away for the evening. That said, we still enjoyed an evening of bat related poetry, funny stories, guessing games, and the flit of a few less rain hating Pipistrelles. Well done, to the younger members who came along to ask some more interesting questions. We hope that the weather will be kinder next year!

Our next mini event will be the opening of our new community book swap on Sunday, 22 October, 12.00 – 14.00, in the Rose Garden. Please come along and see what we have to offer.

Our next main event is Halloween, on Saturday, 28 October, 18.00 – 19.30. Please sign up for this on Eventbrite, via our website.

FoPP will be running Gardening Sessions on the first Sunday of each month to help keep Preston Park beautiful, starting at the Rockery Hut at 10.00am.

If you are interested and would like to sign up as a volunteer, visit www.friendsofprestonpark.org/volunteering/volunteer-contact-form/

Please see the below poster for details:

The Friends of Preston Park will officially open their community book swap box on 22 October, 12.00-14.00, in the Rose Garden. Anyone who is interested, is invited to come along for a slice of cake and to see what books we have available for swapping.

We would like to thank Pride for donating towards this project, that enabled us to purchase some excellent LGBTQIA+ books for lending. It is hoped that we will also have a children’s book swap up and running shortly, as well.

The Friends of Preston Park (FoPP) will be holding their next AGM on Saturday, 11 November, 14.00 – 16.00. Residents and members are invited to join us at St. Peter’s cricket club, near the velodrome in Preston Park. Following on from business we have invited local biodiversity educationalist, Dr Dan Danahar to give us a presentation on butterfly conservation. Dan has led a number of local initiatives within the city of Brighton & Hove, including persuading the public to count butterflies, which in turn inspired the national charity Butterfly Conservation to develop the Big Butterfly Count.

He has also introduced Butterfly Havens as a habitat restoration approach for chalk grassland butterflies, giving the public access to nature on their doorsteps. Dan is Executive Trustee of the charitable company Big Nature – www.bignature.co.uk, which aims to revitalise the relationship between people and their local wildlife by creating natural habitats within the UNESCO designated Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere region (The Living Coast). So if you would like to learn more, please come along and meet Dan.

This week, Ranger Marie Ingledew came to meet with volunteer gardeners in the Rose Garden. Marie is a fairly new ranger to our area and is based in Preston Park as well as other green areas around Brighton & Hove. She will be assisting Ranger Neil Doyle and his team of volunteers to clear and mend the Rose Garden pond in October (weather permitting). We welcome this work as the pond has been in need of some tender care. It should be up and running soon and will be all bedded in again in time for spring.