Beacon Summer 2017
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Issue 4: <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
In this issue...<br />
Welcome...................................................... 2<br />
John Pye...................................................... 3<br />
Park update / forest fun............................. 4<br />
Advisory Group........................................... 5<br />
Bridges / Knight cover story....................... 6<br />
Linkage café and charity shop................. 7<br />
Linkage College.......................................... 8<br />
Bandstand.................................................... 10<br />
City of Lincoln Council............................... 12<br />
Volunteers in the park................................ 14<br />
Fundraising / events................................... 16<br />
Children’s page.......................................... 17<br />
Heritage story.............................................. 18<br />
Rob’s retirement................................... 19<br />
Working hard on transforming the park<br />
at ground level are:<br />
Claire Eldred<br />
Project Manager<br />
Caroline Wallis<br />
Community Development Worker<br />
caroline.wallis@linkage.org.uk<br />
07436 539936<br />
Neville Coupland<br />
Project Assistant<br />
neville.coupland@linkage.org.uk<br />
07834 335669<br />
Barbara Moulson<br />
Fundraising Manager<br />
fundraising@linkage.org.uk<br />
01790 752499<br />
boulthampark.co.uk<br />
twitter.com/BoulthamPark<br />
facebook.com/BoulthamPark<br />
Super Special Volunteer Shout Out<br />
A huge thank you goes out to Trudi Hayes.<br />
Trudi was the designer of the <strong>Beacon</strong> 3,<br />
while she was working for Linkage, which<br />
was heralded as a swish success by all. She<br />
generously volunteered to offer her design<br />
services to the park cause and created this<br />
4th edition. Trudi also set her skills onto the<br />
park’s new welcome boards which will be<br />
installed later this year. She always gives fine<br />
attention to detail which makes a fantastic<br />
end product. www.trudihayes.co.uk.<br />
Caroline’s<br />
Community Corner<br />
H<br />
ello, everyone!<br />
I’m Caroline, your<br />
new Community<br />
Development Worker.<br />
I joined the Project in<br />
December and can’t<br />
believe six months have<br />
gone by already! My first event was the<br />
Big Tidy Up litter pick in January and I was<br />
overwhelmed by the support it received<br />
from local residents. What struck me most<br />
about spending time in and around the<br />
park is what a strong, positive community<br />
Boultham is and how much the park is used<br />
and valued. It’s an absolute pleasure to<br />
be helping Linkage and the City of Lincoln<br />
Council, the project’s partners, to restore<br />
and revive this historic community space<br />
and I look forward to meeting more of you<br />
in the coming months.<br />
In this bumper issue, we’ll be focusing<br />
on the restoration and return of the<br />
bandstand. I was fortunate enough to<br />
visit the Lost Art workshops in Wigan and<br />
meet the talented craftsmen behind its<br />
transformation. More about that on the<br />
centrefold. We’ll also be speaking to<br />
colleagues from Linkage and the City of<br />
Lincoln Council about their aspirations for<br />
the park now that the building works are<br />
nearing completion. Plus, as always, we<br />
have information about our fundraising<br />
efforts, our upcoming events, news from<br />
our volunteers, and some fun for the kids<br />
towards the back.<br />
We’d also love to hear from you if you have<br />
any comments on how to improve the<br />
<strong>Beacon</strong> or ideas for future stories.<br />
Wishing you all a safe and sunny summer!<br />
2 www.boulthampark.co.uk
Changes and<br />
permanencies<br />
Some things change, and some<br />
things never change. So, in<br />
this column, I will be looking at<br />
the changes that I’ve seen and<br />
felt since the last Boultham Park<br />
<strong>Beacon</strong> came out.<br />
From what was felt as disharmony and<br />
disquiet has now evolved into harmony.<br />
There was a long time of apparently<br />
nothing happening, much talking and the<br />
publicity of intentions for the Park. Well,<br />
you can’t say that nothing’s happening<br />
any more, can you?<br />
Massive changes have happened<br />
already, now that Casey and their<br />
machines are all over the place working.<br />
Some things are coming down and some<br />
things going up.<br />
It’s a well-known fact that people don’t<br />
like change. So the partnership of the<br />
City of Lincoln Council and Linkage<br />
made available their intended plans<br />
through public meetings and promotions.<br />
Everything that is now happening is the<br />
actualisation of those plans, as the people<br />
that actually attended the meetings<br />
well know. As always, when thoughts are<br />
turned into actions it can be a bit of a<br />
shock, which I can’t deny I felt, also.<br />
However, what I believe to be most<br />
important is that the ‘Spirit of Boultham<br />
Park’ remains - that is the permanency.<br />
That is what many people do not notice,<br />
not necessarily through their own fault, but<br />
with the speed and stress of living in the<br />
so called modern world and the modern<br />
way of living.<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
I’m past my sell by date and those who<br />
know me know that I prefer the old ways<br />
which are much more relaxed, slower and<br />
less complicated. So it’s relatively easy for<br />
me to switch off and be wrapped in the<br />
spirit of Boultham Park and know that in<br />
fact all is well.<br />
The spirit of Boultham<br />
Park is alive and well.<br />
If in doubt? Try just sitting quietly when<br />
not many are about or by the lake,<br />
especially on a moon and star-lit night.<br />
Close your eyes and relax your racing<br />
mind and become still, both inwardly and<br />
outwardly, and you will feel it. Maybe only<br />
fleeting glimpses at first, but subtly, almost<br />
indiscernibly. If you do it often you will<br />
become part of it and it part of you.<br />
The spirit of Boultham Park is alive and<br />
well as it has always been. Beats paying<br />
money for the various relaxation and stress<br />
release classes that seem to be thriving<br />
with an ever-increasing demand.<br />
The best things in life are free.<br />
John Pye<br />
Chair of the Boultham Park Advisory Group<br />
3
Number crunching<br />
• 500 tonnes of stone and 14,000 bricks used in construction<br />
• 2 apprentices/students working on-site<br />
• 650m temporary fencing erected<br />
• 3 excavators/2 dumpers/1 telehandler on-site<br />
• St Helen’s gate replaced<br />
• Café structure constructed<br />
• Glasshouse walls built<br />
• Stable block re-roofed and internal walls reconfigured<br />
• Two bridges replaced (see page 6)<br />
• Crazy paving refresh underway<br />
• Bandstand nearing completion (see pages 10/11)<br />
• Lake outlet weir/gully completed with voluntary effort and donations<br />
• Various underground cabling and channelling complete<br />
• Park Advisory Group re-invigorated (see page 5)<br />
• Volunteer time in park off the scale (see pages 14/15)<br />
• Community events and activities highly popular and well attended<br />
MINI EXPLORERS HAVE FOREST FUN<br />
I<br />
f you go down to the woods on the first<br />
Saturday of the month you’re sure to find lots<br />
of Mini Explorers!<br />
We have been having ‘Forest Fun’ in Boultham Park<br />
since last December. The fun begins as we hunt and<br />
play on our journey through the park to the woods.<br />
We continue exploring in the woods through a variety<br />
of activities linked to a seasonal story.<br />
So far our woodland inspired activities have included<br />
following a jingle bell trail and Goldilock’s trail of<br />
destruction, sailing a boat of branches, adventures<br />
with Stick Man, dancing with ‘Wild Things’ and<br />
creating with natural materials.<br />
If you have a ‘Mini Explorer’ who would like<br />
to join us for an hour of Forest Fun, come<br />
to Boultham library at 10.30am on the first<br />
Saturday of each month. Please contact<br />
Neville to book your place (see page 2).<br />
Jo Collett<br />
Forest Fun Leader and local volunteer<br />
Engaging young people<br />
4 www.boulthampark.co.uk
Involving the<br />
community<br />
Have you ever thought that the park could be a little bit better?<br />
Have you got some good ideas of how to run things?<br />
Is your vision slightly different to what you see?<br />
Well, here is your chance to make your<br />
mark. Boultham Park Advisory Group<br />
was established over 15 years ago for<br />
local residents and interest groups. They<br />
consult and inform the City of Lincoln<br />
Council on what is happening at ground<br />
level and help develop ideas for restoring<br />
the park. A lot of excellent work has been<br />
done by a variety of people over the<br />
years who we all thank heartily.<br />
As parks are evolving places there is<br />
always a requirement for assistance.<br />
Robert and Diane Pitchford have<br />
been helping out recently running the<br />
successful litter pick events and they are<br />
also involved in helping out at St Helens<br />
Church, outstanding community input<br />
from them both. John Pye continues his<br />
super efforts as the Chair, along with other<br />
key team members. There are a variety of<br />
roles if you want to lend a hand.<br />
As the project construction work is at its<br />
peak don’t make the mistake of thinking<br />
you aren’t needed; it is totally the<br />
opposite! The project team are funded<br />
by the Heritage Lottery Fund / Big Lottery<br />
Fund until November 2018 and so now<br />
is the best time to engage with the park<br />
with guaranteed support from the project<br />
team.<br />
The aim is to help you make the most of<br />
your park and to steer it in the direction<br />
that is right for you and your families, so<br />
that you can enjoy a healthy park life<br />
for decades to come. As well as the<br />
advisory group you might be able to help<br />
with social media, advertising, events<br />
management, stock keeping, path<br />
sweeping or even marketing. The options<br />
are infinite and the cause is grand.<br />
Email neville.coupland@linkage.org.uk or<br />
call 07834 335669.<br />
Below: Diane (far left) and Robert Pitchford (far right) with May’s litter pick group.<br />
See pages 14/15 for other volunteer stories including litter picks earlier in the year.<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
5
Improving maintenance<br />
in the park<br />
Bridging<br />
the gap<br />
Did you know that there are five<br />
bridges in Boultham Park?<br />
You may have noticed that they have<br />
recently been in the spotlight. If you<br />
enter the park from the Rookery Lane<br />
pedestrian crossing gate you will see that<br />
the first bridge has been replaced with<br />
new green fencing and hardwood rail<br />
boards (above right).<br />
Moving towards the lake and looking<br />
across the old boating channels, the<br />
bridge near the beacon (above) has<br />
been totally restored and improved with a<br />
steel base which was previously wooden.<br />
This should stand the test of time for all the<br />
happy visitors heading to feed the ducks.<br />
The Casey Construction team will soon<br />
be working on the other bridge near the<br />
beacon so keep your eyes peeled. The<br />
arched bridge was previously completed<br />
by the City of Lincoln Council as it was in<br />
need of restoring more urgently. It will be<br />
great to see all five looking fresh and new<br />
in the coming months.<br />
Proud<br />
Knight<br />
The ‘Proud Knight’ visited Boultham Park as<br />
part of a tour of places Lincoln has to be<br />
proud of. The park is a major project for the<br />
City of Lincoln Council and a key element<br />
of their vision to deliver Lincoln’s ambitious<br />
future.<br />
The Knight of the Charter is sponsored by the council and is one<br />
of 36 that form the Knights’ Trail, which will run in Lincoln from 20th<br />
May until 3rd September (www.knightstrail.com).<br />
Pictured here are Mark Commons, Linkage’s Head of Business<br />
Development and Marketing (left) and Lee George, Community<br />
Contracts Officer, City of Lincoln Council (right).<br />
6 www.boulthampark.co.uk
Charity shop opens<br />
in Birchwood<br />
Linkage has opened the doors<br />
to its first retail venture based at<br />
the Birchwood Shopping Centre in<br />
Lincoln.<br />
The shop is helping to raise vital funds and<br />
plays an important role raising awareness<br />
of the charity. Over time the long-term<br />
aim will also provide Linkage students<br />
with opportunities to work in a retail<br />
environment and gain valuable work<br />
experience.<br />
“We have had a great first few weeks”<br />
says Grace Cook, manager, “and would<br />
now like to build our dedicated team of<br />
volunteers to help staff the shop.”<br />
The shop stocks good quality second<br />
hand clothes and household items, plus<br />
a range of hand crafted products from<br />
Linkage’s Wood ‘n’ Stuff enterprise. Some<br />
of the student’s most popular items<br />
include bird feeders and houses, planter<br />
stands and hanging baskets.<br />
Call Grace on 01522 688550 for further<br />
details or visit the recruitment fair (see<br />
below).<br />
Linkage Café in<br />
the park<br />
Fancy a soothing ice cream on a<br />
hot sunny day or a warm meal on<br />
a winters morning? Or maybe a sit<br />
down to rest your legs with a coffee<br />
after a refreshing walk around the<br />
park? Well coming this Autumn is<br />
the brand new Linkage Café.<br />
The café will have a great view of the<br />
park and hall footprint through it’s<br />
panoramic windows and the range<br />
of outdoor seating, and you could be<br />
learning lots about the park’s heritage<br />
whilst indulging in a host of tasty treats.<br />
The café will be operated by Linkage who<br />
will be training students in hospitality and<br />
bringing new jobs and employment to the<br />
area.<br />
Highlights include:<br />
• Stokes tea and coffee<br />
• Proud to use local free range eggs,<br />
bread and meats<br />
• Member of ‘Select Lincolnshire’<br />
• Open early if you’re on your way to<br />
work<br />
• Eat in or take away.<br />
Linkage Recruitment Fair<br />
Friday 9 June <strong>2017</strong>, 10am to 2pm<br />
The Showroom, Tritton Road,<br />
CARE/EDUCATION<br />
Lincoln, LN6 7QY<br />
Register at www.eventbrite.co.uk VOLUNTEERING<br />
Further details from:<br />
louise.cotton@linkage.org.uk BOULTHAM PARK<br />
or just turn up on the day! VACANCIES
Linkage College<br />
Principal, Martin<br />
Shelton, talks to<br />
the <strong>Beacon</strong><br />
Linkage is in its 40th year of<br />
success and I hear it has other<br />
establishments in the county of<br />
Lincolnshire. Could you tell us a bit<br />
about the company and how the<br />
new college fits in the strategy?<br />
Linkage Community Trust started 40 years<br />
ago, with a starting point of four students.<br />
The Trust now has over 1,000 clients and<br />
students and a healthy annual turnover.<br />
The Trust comprises of Education, Care,<br />
Adult Skills and Community Support. The<br />
education element, through the College,<br />
has campuses at Weelsby in Grimsby and<br />
Toynton near Spilsby, so the Boultham Park<br />
Campus will be Linkage’s third education<br />
centre. Linkage’s vision is that people<br />
with learning difficulties and disabilities<br />
have opportunities and choice and are<br />
supported to achieve their aspirations.<br />
Linkage’s 5-year strategy outlines how the<br />
Trust will further develop this vision, with<br />
the Linkage Campus at Boultham Park<br />
being a key component of this.<br />
What will a day in the life be like for<br />
students studying here?<br />
Linkage students studying at Boultham<br />
Park will enjoy an outstanding learning<br />
experience tailored to their individual<br />
needs. From developing skills for<br />
independence, gaining qualifications,<br />
developing their travel skills, enjoying a<br />
range of activities which enhance their<br />
personal and social development and of<br />
course gaining the skills and qualifications<br />
to enable them to progress, where<br />
applicable, into employment.<br />
When will the students start arriving<br />
on the park?<br />
Students will start to attend the College<br />
from September. There has been<br />
tremendous interest in the project locally,<br />
regionally and nationally with both<br />
day and residential students already<br />
confirmed to study here.<br />
What training will the college offer?<br />
Each of the Linkage College campuses<br />
offer a core curriculum of English,<br />
Mathematics, Media and ICT and<br />
Personal and Social Development (PSD)<br />
as well as specialising in key vocational<br />
areas. At the Boultham Park Campus the<br />
specialisms are Hospitality and Catering,<br />
Horticulture and Small Animal Care.<br />
Which facilities will the public have<br />
access to?<br />
The public will have access to the<br />
Café, Horticulture Glasshouse and<br />
Small Animal Centre. They can enjoy<br />
opportunities to spend time in the café<br />
8 www.boulthampark.co.uk
enjoying refreshments from a menu<br />
designed following local feedback. Part<br />
of the Glasshouse will feature a small<br />
garden centre which will sell a range<br />
of goods and produce and visitors will<br />
be able to see the animals cared for<br />
by Linkage. Within these areas students<br />
will be developing their skills in realistic<br />
commercial environments, developing<br />
skills in the vocational area, customer<br />
service, retailing and communication.<br />
How will the college benefit the park<br />
in the long term?<br />
The park will provide the customer base<br />
for our working environments, provide<br />
the space for students to enjoy activities<br />
which promote their health and wellbeing,<br />
supply customers through events<br />
over weekends and give the students<br />
opportunities for voluntary work and work<br />
experience.<br />
Can you summarise the college<br />
aims in three words?<br />
How about a sneak preview of some<br />
exciting things coming in the future?<br />
Linkage students have achieved and<br />
have been nominated for a number of<br />
awards. Currently we are awaiting the<br />
result of Linkage Vintage, our up-cycling<br />
project, who have been nominated for<br />
a regional award. Within three years we<br />
aim to be Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ (in our<br />
inspection of November 2016 Linkage<br />
College maintained its ‘Good’ rating).<br />
Any other comments?<br />
All staff, managers, trustees and students<br />
are hugely looking forward to working<br />
and learning at Boultham Park and<br />
supporting the needs of the local<br />
community.<br />
Thank you Martin, it sounds really<br />
exciting. See you at the Café!<br />
Outstanding learning experience<br />
Creating new opportunities<br />
Outstanding<br />
learning<br />
experience<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
9
The<br />
Lost Art<br />
workshop<br />
Structurally<br />
sound<br />
Albert Crowhurst (pictured<br />
below) is one of the Lost Art<br />
team members reconstructing<br />
the bandstand. He has worked on<br />
numerous others and his previous<br />
restoration was in Hyde Park,<br />
London.<br />
In March, the Project Team,<br />
with City of Lincoln Council<br />
and Boultham Park Advisory<br />
Group representatives, visited<br />
the workshops of Lost Art in<br />
Wigan, the company tasked<br />
with the restoration of the park’s<br />
bandstand.<br />
Everyone agreed it was really<br />
interesting to see all the different skills<br />
on display by their craftsmen and very<br />
heartening to see how much passion<br />
they have for the restoration that they<br />
carry out. Many thanks to Dominic<br />
Liptrop and Daniel Lee and their team<br />
for making time to show us around and<br />
explain the different aspects of their<br />
work.<br />
Can you spot the<br />
various bits of our<br />
bandstand?<br />
Top: Restored bandstand<br />
metal work.<br />
Right: Project Manager<br />
Claire Eldred with<br />
Dominic from Lost Art.<br />
Good morning Albert. Thanks for<br />
looking after the bandstand. How is it<br />
all going?<br />
Really well. We are on track and now<br />
working on the wooden ceiling, while<br />
zinc specialists are putting the roof on.<br />
We always try and put back as much<br />
original as possible to keep it authentic.<br />
Protecting our<br />
proud heritage<br />
10 www.boulthampark.co.uk
The bandstand being reassembled<br />
Why did the bandstand need to be taken<br />
away?<br />
We can make a better job by<br />
sandblasting the metal in the factory as<br />
it removes all the old paint. Some original<br />
base layers may have had lead in, so<br />
from a health and safety perspective it’s<br />
better to do that away from the park. We<br />
now know the exact condition as it was<br />
completely stripped. Luckily the posts<br />
are bolted to the base so we could do<br />
that, whereas in Hyde Park the posts were<br />
concreted into the base all the way to the<br />
bottom so we had to do that one on the<br />
site.<br />
Did you have any problems with the<br />
refurbishment?<br />
As in most bandstands, the posts act as<br />
drainpipes so they often get blocked up<br />
with debris and leaves and in winter they<br />
will expand and crack. We have restored<br />
one that was in bad shape and placed a<br />
cast iron sleeve inside with a plastic inner,<br />
this makes a hardier and long lasting<br />
product.<br />
What qualities do the team need to work<br />
on jobs like this?<br />
They have to like this type of work<br />
because it is very intense and have a<br />
skilled trade behind them. To be fair I’m<br />
getting past it a bit as going up and down<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
ladders is a young man’s job. I’m a joiner<br />
by trade, however my family were wheel<br />
wrights and I was taught to weld and<br />
forge in my younger days; you build up a<br />
knowledge over the years. Luckily, these<br />
days the cranes take a lot of the hard<br />
work out of it as we can build the roof<br />
structure at ground level and then hoist<br />
it all up. Previously, every piece of wood<br />
had to be lifted up by hand.<br />
What will be the final touch?<br />
The steps are being replaced due to poor<br />
condition and new handrails will be put<br />
on. We’ve also made a new weather<br />
vane, which is ready at the workshop that<br />
will go up before the scaffolding comes<br />
down. I just hope we get north the right<br />
way!<br />
Good luck with that, Albert. We hope you<br />
will come back to see the brass band<br />
playing once its finished.<br />
The arrival of the bandstand from Lost Art<br />
11
Simon Walters’<br />
vision for the<br />
future<br />
Simon is Strategic Director for Communities and Environment at<br />
the City of Lincoln Council.<br />
Hi Simon thank you for giving some<br />
time to the <strong>Beacon</strong>. Could you tell us<br />
a bit about Vision 2020?<br />
Vision 2020 is the City Council’s key plan<br />
of what we will strive to achieve over<br />
the next 3 years. It is a commitment<br />
to the people of Lincoln to work with<br />
partners to deliver a range of schemes.<br />
It’s difficult to summarise here as there are<br />
so many aspects but at its heart are four<br />
key elements – more jobs, more better<br />
quality homes, reducing inequality and<br />
enhancing our remarkable city. Please<br />
take a look at: www.lincoln.gov.uk/<br />
vision2020<br />
How do you see parks and green<br />
spaces developing in Lincoln’s<br />
future?<br />
They are absolutely vital. The City has such<br />
a rich and varied array of green spaces<br />
and we are passionate about growing the<br />
city in a way that preserves and enhances<br />
our parks and important open spaces. The<br />
physical and mental health benefits for<br />
people using these spaces is well proven.<br />
We have renovated The Arboretum in the<br />
past, now we are transforming Boultham<br />
Park and next our attention will turn to the<br />
lake. After that we will be looking at what<br />
we can do at Hartsholme Park in the years<br />
ahead.<br />
12 www.boulthampark.co.uk
What aspects of the park project are<br />
you most impressed with?<br />
There are so many aspects of the project<br />
that are to be celebrated it’s a difficult<br />
question! I have to say the pictures I saw<br />
of the bandstand being restored off site<br />
look incredible. The craftsmanship and<br />
care that has gone into giving this centre<br />
piece of the park a new lease of life is<br />
something to celebrate. I can’t wait to<br />
see it finished alongside the opening<br />
of a great café, education centre and<br />
greenhouse.<br />
With groups like Parkrun being so<br />
successful what measures will the<br />
council take to assist further positive<br />
park use and growth?<br />
Parkrun is a great example of getting<br />
more people active and I would<br />
encourage all taking part to become<br />
involved in other activities within Boultham<br />
Park – be they leisure activities or helping<br />
to keep the park looking great. The<br />
council will shortly be launching a revised<br />
volunteering scheme to make it even<br />
easier for people to get involved, and the<br />
programme of events in Boultham Park<br />
is a great example of how we can bring<br />
people into the park<br />
The project has seen many ups and<br />
downs. How do you stay positive in<br />
times of difficulty?<br />
I am lucky as I have become part the<br />
project during the exciting building<br />
stage. I am aware of the previous ups<br />
and downs. The key is having a very<br />
good project team, all passionate about<br />
delivering the project and to have a very<br />
clear vision of what the scheme will look<br />
like when its completed and how it will<br />
benefit the local community. This keeps us<br />
all on the project team motivated to work<br />
through the difficulties that any project of<br />
this nature typically has.<br />
Can you summarise your aspirations<br />
in a nutshell?<br />
Making the most of our parks, commons<br />
and recreation areas so we can all get<br />
out there to experience the natural world<br />
first hand and by getting active become<br />
healthier as well!<br />
That’s great Simon and thank you for<br />
your time and best wishes with future<br />
projects.<br />
Where are you from and did you go<br />
to local parks as a child?<br />
I moved to the city with the rest of my<br />
family when I was 12 years old and have<br />
stayed in this amazing city ever since<br />
(36 years and counting). It’s a wonderful<br />
place to live and I have raised my own<br />
family here too. When I was young I spent<br />
a lot of time in Hartsholme Country Park<br />
and still do - most weekends walking my<br />
dogs there.<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
13
VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS<br />
Lincoln<br />
Conservation Group<br />
On a sunny day in March we<br />
were happy to host the Lincoln<br />
Conservation Group for a day of<br />
sprucing up.<br />
Nine members, led by Julian Bartrup, got<br />
to grips on a whole host of tasks, making a<br />
visible difference for everyone to see.<br />
The happy helpers started the day with a<br />
brief overview of the project and its goals,<br />
then set straight to tidying up around the<br />
volunteer base camp. The containers had<br />
weeds and debris around them which<br />
was sorted out in a flash and after a social<br />
cup of tea the group headed off to start<br />
on the bridges.<br />
Half of the team tidied up around the<br />
arch bridge - sweeping, cleaning and<br />
painting the bollards with an undercoat of<br />
red oxide and later on a swish lick of park<br />
green paint.<br />
from the concrete bases and remove<br />
intrusive plant growth from the east side.<br />
After a well deserved lunch spades were<br />
set flying on pathways to clear edges.<br />
The group (above) were really friendly<br />
and efficient. They meet twice monthly to<br />
socialise and make a difference to natural<br />
sites around Lincolnshire. A huge thank<br />
you to the team. For more details visit<br />
www.lincolnconservationgroup.org.uk.<br />
Team two tackled the Russell Street iron<br />
bridge to remove all the moss and weeds<br />
Interested in volunteering? Get in touch with Neville Coupland,<br />
Project Assistant - neville.coupland@linkage.org.uk or 07834 335669.<br />
Park tidy ups<br />
A<br />
number of volunteers spent their<br />
weekends tidying up Boultham<br />
Park as part of the site’s restoration<br />
project and in conjunction with<br />
Keep Britain Tidy campaigns.<br />
The volunteers, which included members<br />
from the 13th Lincoln Scouts, came<br />
together in January for the Big Tidy Up<br />
and in March for the Great British Spring<br />
Clean, to pick up litter and generally tidy<br />
up the much-loved park.<br />
The groups collected over 70 bags of litter<br />
plus a rogue tyre. Caroline, Community<br />
Development Worker, said: “Twenty-two<br />
wonderful members of the community<br />
turned out in January and nearly thirty in<br />
March. We also swept paths and cleared<br />
the fountain of fallen twigs.”<br />
Thanks to everyone who has helped so far.<br />
Due to its huge success there will be litter<br />
picks every two months. Let us know if you<br />
would like to help out at the next one in<br />
July!<br />
14 www.boulthampark.co.uk
VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS<br />
Volunteering skill up<br />
Parks are always in need of some TLC and local people can really make<br />
a difference.<br />
A previous Linkage student has recently dedicated<br />
some of his time to tidying up Boultham Park. Nick<br />
(pictured left) spends an afternoon a week on a variety<br />
of tasks, from clearing the weir area around the lake,<br />
to sweeping and clearing paths and fencing. In return<br />
Nick has built his confidence and developed skills.<br />
Volunteering is not a one way street, you can gain a lot.<br />
The Park’s Advisory Group Chairman and active<br />
volunteer John Pye showed Nick how to install concrete<br />
posts which were being installed in the memorial<br />
garden. Mixing concrete and digging out the<br />
foundations was a new and exciting experience for Nick<br />
and he picked up the idea quickly.<br />
John commented, “I was very impressed with Nick’s effort and commitment, always<br />
putting in a lot of effort and energy.” Thank you for all your help Nick!<br />
big thank you to Martin Bavin and the<br />
A Toc H group from Barton (toch-uk.org.uk),<br />
shown left, who prepared and undercoated<br />
the volunteer containers.<br />
A sunny Saturday helped smooth the job<br />
along and Josh, a regular volunteer, also<br />
backed up the team.<br />
Increased range<br />
of audience<br />
The 13th Lincoln scouts with their tools<br />
Local families and friends<br />
volunteering and having fun<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
15
Sponsor a stone for £10<br />
Please help us return the fountain garden at<br />
Boultham Park to its former glory.<br />
Make a donation by:<br />
Texting BPRK72 £10 to 70070<br />
Help us restore Boultham Park<br />
Other ways to donate:<br />
JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/Boultham-Park<br />
Email: fundraising@linkage.org.uk<br />
Linkage, Toynton Hall, Toynton All Saints,<br />
Spilsby, PE23 5AE<br />
Are you cheery - friendly - helpful - reliable - good with numbers - organised?<br />
Interested in sports? (This one isn’t essential but it’s useful!)<br />
Boultham Park<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> Games<br />
27th May - 10th September <strong>2017</strong><br />
What we can offer you:<br />
basic retail experience - something positive to do over the summer - travel expenses<br />
the chance to meet new people - references for jobs / CVs - supportive team coordinators<br />
a regular timeslot to suit your own commitments (where possible)<br />
For more information CONTACT:<br />
Caroline Wallis<br />
Community Development Worker<br />
07436 539936 - caroline.wallis@linkage.org.uk<br />
16 www.boulthampark.co.uk
PLAY PARK<br />
Wordsearch<br />
Can you find these park related words?<br />
They might appear forwards, backwards,<br />
up, down or diagonally<br />
Dot to Dot<br />
BATS<br />
BIRD BOX<br />
BUTTERFLY<br />
DAFFODILS<br />
DUCKS<br />
GEESE<br />
GRASS<br />
LAKE<br />
PIKE<br />
POPLAR<br />
RIVER WITHAM<br />
SQUIRRELS<br />
SWANS<br />
TREES<br />
WOODLAND<br />
Spot the difference<br />
There are SIX differences in these pictures. Can you spot them?<br />
Solutions on page 19<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
17
BOULTHAM<br />
PARK<br />
HERITAGE<br />
A fictional depiction using<br />
historical information by<br />
volunteer Chris Tutty<br />
1909 - Lt. Colonel Richard Ellison<br />
looked out over the misty<br />
grasslands of his estate.<br />
Lincoln was small as cities went, but<br />
despite its relative size and the closeknit<br />
community, it had its share of grand,<br />
secluded areas where one could enjoy<br />
their privacy, albeit more so when<br />
one was as fortunate as him. Almost<br />
eight decades had passed since the<br />
acquisition of the Boultham Park estate<br />
by his ancestor Richard Ellison III, but what<br />
fascinated him more than the history<br />
of the estate were the possibilities for its<br />
future.<br />
A sizeable portion of the grounds<br />
had long since been excavated and<br />
converted into the lake he saw before<br />
him, and visions flitted through his mind’seye<br />
of the parties and community events<br />
that had been thrown here over the years.<br />
What would happen, he mused, if the<br />
grounds were opened permanently to<br />
the public? Of course, his estate would<br />
have to have been vacated, but then, he<br />
knew, ownership only lasted as long as the<br />
owner. What could become of this scenic<br />
place?<br />
convalesce; after all, his time in the armed<br />
forces left him as aware as it was possible<br />
to be of the awful consequences of war.<br />
New military technology, known as ‘tanks’,<br />
were going into production, and what a<br />
space for their construction his land could<br />
provide!<br />
What would happen if the<br />
grounds were opened<br />
permanently to the public?<br />
What else could become of the estate?<br />
He imagined an annual fair, stalls and<br />
live music. He imagined great crowds of<br />
families, young and old, filling the grounds,<br />
the sights and sounds of nature available<br />
to the whole community. When such<br />
events were not on, when the grounds<br />
were otherwise free, any number of<br />
people might be able to enjoy the trees,<br />
plants, the lake and other scenery. Paths<br />
could be laid to allow different routes and<br />
thoroughfares, a more expedient way<br />
for people to pass through the Boultham<br />
community.<br />
The estate long owned by generations<br />
of his family, he thought, could benefit<br />
the whole of the community. Little did he<br />
know, a century later, that these things<br />
and more besides would come to pass.<br />
For as long as the house itself stood, he<br />
marvelled at the uses it could be put<br />
to. He pictured it being used to help<br />
his injured fellow military personnel<br />
Telling the story of<br />
our rich heritage<br />
18 www.boulthampark.co.uk
Lifelong<br />
dedication<br />
After 45 years of loyal service in Boultham<br />
Park, grounds keeper Rob Appleyard<br />
is hanging up his shears for a well-earned<br />
retirement.<br />
Rob started working in Boultham Park in 1972 in the<br />
original glass house where flowers and plants were<br />
cultivated for the park as well as around the city.<br />
In 2012 he was awarded a commendation from the<br />
City of Lincoln Council for dedicated service of 40<br />
years. People know and love Rob as a part of the<br />
park’ s recent history and he has always been there<br />
to look after things and liaise with members of the<br />
public. He has been a solid asset in the day to day<br />
operation of the park for many years.<br />
The stunning quality of the lawn tennis courts,<br />
bowling greens and putting pitch is always commented upon<br />
by park visitors. Rob’s longevity and knowledge has enabled<br />
him to master the art of circular grass trimming which is second<br />
to none.<br />
In April he was presented with gifts and an ornamental cherry<br />
tree at a special ceremony in the park where a large variety of<br />
wellwishers attended to celebrate his outstanding career. Rob is<br />
commended on his efforts and dedication in service to one of<br />
Lincoln’s finest parks.<br />
Rob has been a lifelong loyal fan of Lincoln City Football Club so<br />
it is auspicious that he retires this year in time to watch them return<br />
to Division 2 at his leisure.<br />
Thank you Rob and enjoy putting your feet up!<br />
Celebrating our<br />
successes<br />
Play park solutions (from page 17)<br />
Dot to dot<br />
Wordsearch<br />
Spot the difference<br />
www.boulthampark.co.uk<br />
19
From the archaeology under our feet to the<br />
historic parks we love, from precious memories<br />
to rare wildlife.<br />
The Heritage Lottery Fund use money<br />
raised by National Lottery players to<br />
help people across the UK explore,<br />
enjoy and protect the heritage they<br />
care about.<br />
• Largest dedicated funder of heritage in the UK<br />
• Leading advocate for the value of heritage<br />
• £7.1billion awarded to over 40,000 projects since 1994<br />
• Offices across the UK<br />
• Grants from £3,000<br />
Pictured above: a craftsman from the Lost Art workshop working on part of the park bandstand (page 10)<br />
Linkage Community Trust is a Registered Charity (No. 504913) and Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 01240377)<br />
The Boultham Park Restoration Project is supported by a £2.7million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big<br />
Lottery Fund ‘Parks for People’ initiative, alongside the capital appeal and many other valued contributions.