Mina Road Park Group

Mina Road Park Group (MRPG) is a community group which closely monitors the parks and other green spaces in St Werburghs. Its local voluntary members include trained horticulturalists, environment specialists and other interested residents.

MRPG liaises with Bristol City Council (which overseas the maintenance of parks and green spaces in the city), seeks out funding sources, works with other local groups, and actively rolls up its sleeves. It is persistent in ensuring that the parks and green spaces in St Werburghs are well maintained and flourishing.

The group was established in 1997 because Mina Road Park, a beautiful Victorian park and centrepiece of inner-city St Werburghs, was in a state of near dereliction.

- MRPG started off by working with BCC to get the paths, railings, park benches, bins and the play area refurbished.

- Then there was the successful refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Victorian urinal.

- In 2006, £75,000 was raised from Heritage Lottery Funds and other sources to reinstate Horfield Brook, resulting in a clean flowing stream, restoration of the Georgian boundary wall, new planting, encouraging new wildlife, a dipping platform and a second bridge. This was followed by a fete in Mina Road Park to celebrate the restoration.

- The group is currently planting to bring colour to the Park.

- A new Notice Board has been installed at the cross-paths, following a successful request for funding via Clean & Green. And the other noticeboard has been moved to a better position at the Duke of York entrance to the park.

The group's remit has expanded to cover Ashley Street Park, St Werburghs Park and other green spaces including verges. Success stories include:

- Attracting £17,000 of S106 funds for the installation of new fences, gates and tree planting in St Werburghs Park;

- Preventing Ashley Street Park, along with local activists, from being earmarked for disposal under the Bristol Parks and Green Spaces Strategy.

- Planting trees in Ashley Street Park in conjunction with Tree Bristol.

In September 2011 and 2012 MRPG worked with St Werburghs Community Centre to create 'Picnic in the Park', an enormously successful and well-attended local event with great community spirit held in Mina Road Park - and looks forward to doing so again this year: Sunday 1st September 2013.

MRPG is an active member of the Bristol Park Forum, which brings together many park and amenity groups in Bristol.

MRPG is involved with the Brooks Planning Group, in the hope that once that site is developed Mina Road Park will be extended to incorporate a larger play area and larger kickabout area. We also intend to play an active role in formulating a St Werburghs Local Plan in conjunction with St Werburghs Neighbourhood Association, other local groups and specialists

We usually meet every second Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm at the Parkway Methodist Church, Conduit Place - and welcome anyone who wants to become involved, either for one-off issues and events, or the longer-term. Our minutes are published below after each meeting and will always contain the date of next meeting.

For more information, please contact Hugh on 0117 955 5752 or Suzanna on 0117 955 9378.

PLEASE NOTE: THE NEXT MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO TUESDAY 19TH MARCH 2013, at Parkway Methodist Church 7:30pm

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