Valence Park
On the 22nd of March 2021, community activist, Lisa Adams, shared her story of how she fundraised £270,000 to transform Valence Park, inspiring local residents to get started in their own local park.
Here is an outline of her story:
- Lisa recognised that facilities were in a poor or broken state
- She reached out to Community Resources who put her in touch with Urban Sports to create a choice of designs for refurbishment
- Lisa and her church organised a Fun Day with a marquee to show attendees the designs and hear their thoughts
- She set up a Crowdfunder which raised £6,000 and used the power of social media to inspire organisations to get involved, raising almost £270,000 in total
- Demolition began and the newly renovated park opened, with new play equipment, an outdoor gym, basketball court, and ping pong tables
- Lisa worked with the Council and the community to make Valence a great place for all ages to enjoy
If you’re thinking about how you could transform your local park, here are some tips from Lisa:
- Use social media to reach out to people and organisations across the borough
- Involve your networks and attend local events where you may meet others that want to get involved
- Engage local schools because children will be big users of the park
- Make designing fun and competitive
- If the community contribute financially or with their actions, they will feel more of a sense of ownership and will use the park with respect