Friends of Swan Pool Park – a new group with big ambition for their local green space

It’s a pleasure to support an emerging group of volunteers who are keen to bring more community to their local park.

Brimming with enthusiasm and ideas, Friends of Swan Pool Park have already

• brought residents together
• talked to local schools
• worked with Dudley Council and the Police to make sure everyone can contribute to a vision for the park.

I’m in awe of what they’ve already done to make sure everyone can have their say on the kinds of activities and facilities the park should have. They know that that’s the way to build a sense of community ownership in an important green space!

And now Friends of Swan Pool Park are ready to host their first fun run. They’ve plotted a 5k route around the park and you can walk, jog or run it with others on Saturday 28th March. To get involved, sign up here.

In the background, I’m supporting the committee with setting up more formally as a not-for-profit organisation. I’ve talked them through the options available to them and the advantages and challenges of each. This is an ambitious group, with aspirations to bring the building on the park back into use if possible. To meet this ambition, the group is exploring charity status. We’ve already developed the paperwork the group will need to register and I’ll support with the application process. I’ll also be offering training to the committee on their roles as trustees of a charity.

I’m really looking forward to supporting this group and to seeing the park develop in years to come!

The Friends of Swan Pool Park would love you to get involved. Join their Facebook group here.

Image credit: Andrew Tromans / Friends of Swan Pool Park Facebook Group