About us
History of the Friends of Wickford Memorial Park
By Kim Oakes (Chair)
I visited the Park and saw that the Home Front Garden was overgrown and neglected and thought something should be done. I met with the park manager, started the process of setting up a ‘Friends’ group. I will add the park has a limited budget and staff, it is not possible for them to keep on top of everything.
The first group started work set to tidy up the garden. The garden was covered in brambles, vine weed and thistles!
We appeared in the Council’s ‘Together Magazine’.
I met with the council and formed a partnership: ‘Friends of the Wickford Memorial Park’. And set up a Facebook Group. Keen gardeners and people interested in the park were asked to join.
We planted whips in the Silver Jubilee Wood, donated by the Woodland Trust.
Basildon Council helped with a grant for tools and HiVis, plus a storage container to use.
We began regularly working on the garden, and formed a constituted group with a committee.
Our volunteers painted the car park railings with paint provided by Basildon Council. A big improvement!
Major replanting of the Home Front Garden. It was decided that the existing plants were not worth saving and we would start again.
We planted 4,700 English bluebells, and our volunteers also replanted the Home Front Garden. A busy month!
Planting the woodland area with the Woodland Trust on the Beauchamps Meadow - 3500 new trees.
Painting the Park Gates, with Virgin Media and Kelly Communications.
Spring bulb planting - thousands of Spring bulbs were planted, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, chinodoxia, anemone.
The Beacon was refurbished and repositioned for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Refurbishing the Crazy Golf with a team of volunteers from Fords.
Beauchamps Meadow- A hectare of field was sown with native wildflowers
A 200 fruit tree, Community Orchard was planted on Beauchamps Meadow with Heritage Fruit Trees- Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plums and Greengages.
The Reflection Garden- A fabulous new garden designed for peace and reflection, the backbone of the garden is Silver Birches and Midwinter Fire, funded by the National Lottery.