Totally Telford is a Telford & Wrekin Council resident magazine, celebrating the towns within the borough and the incredible people, businesses, and organisations that make Telford and Wrekin a fantastic place to live, work, and visit.
ISSUE 2 • AUTUMN 2021
ON YOUR SIDE EDITION
Love where you live
• Telford Christmas Market • Shop Small, Shop Local • There is no Planet B • Safer & Stronger Communities
SHONE PRODUCTIONS Presents
X Factor Finalist
Winner of BBC’s Let It Shine & West End Star
Coronation Street’s
The Hilarious
Comedy Star
As Princess Jasmine
As Aladdin
As Abanazar
As Wishee Washee
As Widow Twankey
As The Emperor
As The Spirit of the Ring
01952 382382 Online: www.telfordtheatre.com
Welcome
Welcome to the ‘on your side’ edition of Totally Telford magazine. After a tough couple of years we’re looking forward to brighter times ahead. That’s why in September I announced Telford & Wrekin Council would be investing an extra £16m into key areas, designed to help the borough bounce back from the pandemic.
Cllr Shaun Davies Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council
We’ve listened to what you’ve told us. We know what is important to you, so the additional money will go towards projects that will make the borough cleaner, greener, safer and more enjoyable. All this is on top of £50m already going into neighbourhood and enforcement services. We’re moving forward in our fight against climate change, enhancing our precious green and open spaces and funding community initiatives. We’re also putting more money into high streets, parks and building on our exciting events programme, as well as crucially making sure the borough is really safe and clean for us all to enjoy. This extra funding due to careful financial management over the past few years. It’s put us in a strong position to invest in recovery from the pandemic. In this magazine you can find more about how the money will make a difference to individuals, communities and businesses, as well as some of the brilliant events and activities you can enjoy on your doorstep over the next few months. I wish you and your families good times ahead, as we work together to protect, care and invest to create a better borough.
We are looking for interesting stories about the exciting things you are doing to make a difference for our next editions, so if you have a story to tell, we would love to hear from you! Email us at totallytelford@telford.gov.uk
Saffron Parker, The Dingle, Ironbridge
With thanks to our contributors
Acknowledgements: Nettie of The Gorge, Friends of Dot Hill Nature Reserve, Newport Town Council, Ironbridge Gorge Parish Council, Great Dawley Town Council, Oakengates Town Council, Wellington Town Council, Madeley Town Council, Shone Productions, Newport CE Junior School, The Burton Borough School, The Friends of Dawley Hamlets, The Friends of Telford Town Park
Photography: Thank you to all of our local residents who submitted their images to be featured within the magazine.
This magazine has been created by Telford & Wrekin Council
Samantha Asterley, Newport
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Telford Christmas
Market is back
November 2021 6 November Made in Telford Autumn Fayre Newport High Street 13 November Telford Christmas light switch on Southwater
26 November Newport Christmas light switch on and carol singing Newport High Street
27 November Oakengates Christmas light switch on Oakengates High Street
13 November Christmas Celebration Telford Centre
27 November Madeley Christmas light switch on Park Avenue and Russell Square
13 November – 13 December Santa’s Mail Room Telford Centre
27 November – 19 20, 21, 22 & 23 December Winter Wonderland Wonderland, Telford Town Park
15 November Christmas Memories The Place Telford
27 & 28 November Apley Christmas market Apley Farm Shop
19 November Malinslee Christmas light switch on Malinslee Centre 20 November Ironbridge Christmas light switch on The Wharfage, Ironbridge 20 November Leapfrog Reindeers Rock Kids Club Event Telford Centre
27 & 28 November 1, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23 December Winter Wonderland and Santa’s Grotto Coalbrookdale 27 & 28 November 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15 – 23 & 26 December Victorian Christmas Blists Hill Victorian Town
30 November Christmas with The Rat Pack & Marilyn Monroe The Place Telford
20 November – 24 December Telford Christmas Market Southwater
20 November Late night at Wellington Food Market Wellington Market 20 November Wellington Christmas light switch on Wellington High Street
This is just a taster of what events are on this winter in Telford and not an all-inclusive list for the area. All event details were correct at the time of publishing.
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WHAT’S ON
Explore the twinkling fairy lights on the beautifully decorated traditional wooden cabins, pick up unique presents, stocking fillers, and edible treats from the market’s range of independent traders. Spend an afternoon or evening with family and friends and enjoy some delicious food with a glass or two of mulled wine or any drink of your choice to get yourselves into the Christmas Spirit. This year’s Christmas Market will even feature a giant walk-in LED Bauble so you can take that Instagram worthy photo. Trading times: 10am – 7pm Sunday to Wednesday 10am – 9pm Thursday to Saturday 20 November - 24 December 2021 Telford Christmas Market, Southwater
December 2021 Every Saturday throughout December Festive Films The Orbit Cinema, Wellington 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23 December Cretaceous Christmas at Hoo Zoo Hoo Zoo & Dinosaur World
4 December Sutton Hill Christmas light switch on Hub on the hill 4 & 11 December Breakfast with Santa at Jamaica Blue Telford Centre
5 December Air Ambulance Santa fun run Telford Town Park 5 December Festive wreath making Hadley Park House Hotel 8 December – 2 January Aladdin The Place Telford 8, 11 & 15 December Festive Wreath Making Nettie of the Gorge, Ironbridge
4, 5, 11, 12, 18 & 24 December Breakfast with Santa Apley Farm Shop
3 December Woodside Christmas light switch on Park Lane Centre
4, 5, 11 & 12 December Blists Hill Christmas Weekends Blists Hill Victorian Town
3 December Dawley festive family fun day Jubilee Woods Baptist Church
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£4.8M TOWARDS OUR HIGHS STREETS
Shop local Shop small
Over the next two years another £4.8 million will be ploughed into the borough’s high streets, so they become even better places to meet, shop and do business.
succeeds. Independent traders like myself are the key to a thriving high street.” Building on successes like Nettie of the Gorge, £4.8m of a £16m investment programme will go into phase three of ‘Pride in our High Street’, with £2.5m being invested in the current year – 2021/22. As well as more grants to help new retail businesses, including new digital and environmental grant schemes, the investment programme will pay for improvements to the way our high streets look. That will include buying and renovating empty, run-down, shop premises and then either selling or leasing them – with the money going into a revolving fund to pay for more high street investments. High street Place Plans will be drawn up for each town, working with town councils and other partners, to tackle issues that have a negative impact on high streets, helping them attract more visitors and really thrive now and into the future.
in Jockey Bank, “but I wasn’t getting the footfall I needed – the passing trade that I would get from a shop,” said Lisa. “I needed to be on the high street, but there was no way I could afford it. A grant from ‘Pride in Our High Street’ made all the difference, enabling me to take the business to the next level.” The £9,000 start-up grant enabled her to lease shop premises at 31 High Street in Ironbridge. “I now have people popping in because they see my shop front as they walk along the high street. It is making all the difference; I will be running flower arranging classes in the run-up to Christmas and I have dates already fully-booked. “None of this would have been possible without the grant from the council. I think it’s wonderful that they are going to invest more in our high streets – my business is proof that it
While other local authorities have bemoaned the “death” of the high street in the face of internet shopping, Telford & Wrekin Council has backed independent traders who have proved the borough’s high streets can thrive again. Through the council’s Pride in Our High Streets programme, a series of grants to back budding entrepreneurs and their businesses has seen 30 empty retail premises brought back into use, creating more than 160 local high street jobs so far across Wellington, Oakengates, Ironbridge, Dawley, Madeley and Newport. Nettie of the Gorge is a prime example of what ‘Pride in Our High Street’ can achieve. A floristry business created by Lisa Kidd-Perry who was made redundant during Covid, launched the business from a workshop
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£4.8M TOWARDS OUR HIGHS STREETS
into top quality events and activities. towards our high streets so they’re once again great places to meet, shop and do business. £4.8m
“Our vision is to protect, care and invest to create a better borough. By investing £4.8m across high streets, we’re helping make town centres vibrant places people want to visit. “Everyone should be able to take pride in their high street – that’s what we’re working to deliver.” Cllr Lee Carter Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood, Commercial and Regeneration
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£1M FOR TOP QUALITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
into top quality events and activities. £1m
leisure and entertainment as a whole, so we are delighted to be able to get back in front of a live audience. “Very few actors are lucky enough to work all year round, so most of us do other things to earn a living between jobs – I am a trained teacher lecture in drama and screen acting. But I know many people who had to turn to jobs like van driving and some even gave up the profession completely. “So it will be wonderful to be back in front of a live audience in Telford. There is something magical about it, an immediate connection when you perform in front of people, that you just don’t get from anything else, be it film, television or radio. “And I think it is wonderful that Telford & Wrekin Council is investing in events and entertainment, recognising its importance.” Panto producer, James Shone, added: “I am so excited to be bringing pantomime back to Telford, it was such a shame that we couldn’t present the show last year due to the pandemic. It’s a brilliant production and we have such a strong cast to deliver this up-to- date pantomime version of the classic story. There is something for the whole family and I know that everyone will have an enjoyable time” As well as Telford’s Christmas panto, the next few months will see a string of entertaining live events, with Strictly Come Dancing’s Giovanni Pernice bringing his rescheduled This Is Me show to The Place on 28 March, recording star Bryan Adams bringing his live show to the QEII Arena at Telford Town Park on 3 July while Steve Steinman’s hugely popular musical Vampires Rock comes to The Place on 3 February.
entertain you
After 18 months without live music or theatre, artists and stage staff are embracing the opportunity to perform once again. A million pounds of council funding will ensure a programme of top quality events, activities and entertainment to lift people’s spirits, support local businesses and support creative industries. The money is a significant part of the £16 million the council is investing on making the borough cleaner, greener, safer and more enjoyable, and it recognises the importance to everyone to get out and have some
fun – something that has been in short supply during the pandemic. One of the biggest and most popular events coming this winter will be the return of Telford’s pantomime. Delayed last year by coronavirus restrictions, Aladdin will show at The Place – Telford by Shone Productions Ltd from Wednesday 8 December 2021 to Sunday 2 January 2022. Among a star-studded cast, Coronation Street’s Tom Roberts is looking forward to playing the role of the wicked magician Abanazar. “It’s always more fun to play the baddies,” he said. “You’ve always got something to get your teeth into. “Obviously the closure of live theatre was very difficult for everyone in the industry, and for all those working in
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£1M FOR TOP QUALITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
“We are choosing to invest in the events and leisure programme to help residents enjoy life after the worst of the pandemic. “In reality, investment will have a much greater impact and help tackle wider issues such as obesity, wellbeing and loneliness while also supporting businesses to bounce back by bringing people together safely.”
Future Shows As well as Telford’s Christmas panto comedians Jasper Carrott, Alistair McGowan, Nish Kumar, Gary Delaney, Sarah Millican and Irelands No 1 country singer Nathan Carter are also lined up for 2022. Book tickets at www.telfordtheatre.com
Cllr Eileen Callear Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Visitor Economy
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£2.5M INVESTMENT FOR SAFER AND STRONGER COMMUNITIES
Stronger and safer together “I'd love people to get the same benefits I do by helping this orchard flourish.” Donnington Community Orchard volunteer Darran Dorsett.
Community safety initiatives are about more than reducing offences or crime prevention. Money is also going to support a broad range of projects that help bring people together and make this borough an even better place to live. One of these is the Donnington Community Orchard & Gardening Group. The orchard was established after World War Two by Yugoslavian workers, recruited to aid with Britain’s post-war labour shortage. Maintained by locals since the 1960s, in 2020 it was renamed the Liz Clare Community Orchard in memory of a long-serving Donnington councillor. One of the group’s volunteers, Darran Dorsett, said: “Community orchards are wonderful spaces for bringing people together around a common, positive purpose. Orchards are cherished natural places that give sustenance to people as being a haven for wildlife. The Donnington orchard has over 50 fruit trees and bird and bee feeders that support pollination as well as places to find peace and just sit and take in the scenery.
on borough wide community safety projects. £2.5m
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£2.5M INVESTMENT FOR SAFER AND STRONGER COMMUNITIES
“This orchard needs a great deal of love and care throughout the year and as a volunteer, I can help preserve a piece of local history while improving both my mental and physical health – I would love to see more people get the benefits too.” “The £1,600 from the Safer & Stronger Communities Programme means we can safeguard this historic orchard, enhance it and care for the tress, plants and wildlife within it. We can now also launch the Donnington community gardening group and I invite residents to join me to discover this wonderful hidden treasure trove right on our doorstep.” To find out more, visit the Facebook page @donningtoncommunityorchard or pop along to the next meeting on Tuesday 9 November at Donnington Community Hub between 10.30am and midday.
“Telford is the safest major town in Shropshire and among the top 10 nationally where 76 per cent of people feel safe in their homes – but we are far from complacent. “We’re investing £2.5m into schemes to help build communities and ensure people aren’t left behind. “We want everyone to feel safe in their homes and part of and things like even better street lighting, CCTV and a strong Police presence where needed will be put in place.” Cllr Richard Overton Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement, Community Safety and Customer Services and proud of the town they live in
Safer & Stronger Communities project …is about working with people and investing in things they want to see make improvements. £2.5m will be spent on initiatives with your help – after all you are the ones who knows first-hand what’s needed.
such as fly tipping, graffiti and anti- social behaviour. Areas set to benefit include Sutton Hill & Woodside, Brookside & The Nedge, Haygate College & Arleston, St Georges & Priorslee, Wrockwardine Wood & Trench, Dawley Bank & Malinslee, Dawley & Aqueduct, Hadley & Leegomery, Oakengates & Ketley Bank, Ketley & Overdale and Donnington. Building on a proven track record, measures to enhance community safety include tackling social isolation through community initiatives or youth groups for those not in education, employment or training. Installing CCTV, improved lighting as well as tackling fly tipping, graffiti, abandoned cars and houses along with parking enforcement will all contribute to a safer, cleaner environment. The scheme will also try to build a local picture of what measures work best, with events held across the borough for residents to give their views. £2m is funded by the council, backed by £500,000 from West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Campion.
It aims to understand what’s important to residents in their neighbourhood and put measures in place to support them. Events are being held across the borough where people are invited to have their say and create initiatives such as youth groups, and social clubs where volunteers can get involved. They are also being asked to help reduce opportunities for wrongdoings
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£1.5M INTO OUR COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS
Big Impact Small differences
into our community action teams to keep local spaces cleaner, greener and safer. £1.5m
The last year has seen a welcomed introduction of Community Action Teams (or CATs) to work on street cleaning, gardening and other areas needed by neighbourhoods.
What are CATs? Community Action Teams or CATs handle local issues and do the extra jobs that aren’t picked up as part of the borough council’s routine services.
“Community Action Teams (CATs) mean there are council teams out and about, able to quickly deal with issues as they arise.” Environment Community liaison officer Richard Shaw.
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£1.5M INTO OUR COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS
fantastic news for those living and working in the borough and a great demonstration of the way Telford & Wrekin Council works as a cooperative with communities.” As part of the extra £16 million being invested across Telford & Wrekin as part of the borough council’s Covid recovery programme, another £1.5 million is being pumped into the Community Action Teams, to keep local spaces cleaner and greener. The teams get involved in a range of projects which can vary depending on the area and season, for instance neighbourhood enforcement teams inspect areas across the borough for any on and off street parking, carry out school patrols, fly tipping investigations, abandoned vehicles along with general litter and dog fouling patrols In addition, the grounds maintenance and street cleaning which is delivered by Telford and Wrekin Council’s official partner idverde, carry out jobs such as mowing grass, pruning shrubs, keeping hedges in check, planting flower beds and planters, edging borders, tending wildflower areas, weeding, marking out sports pitches, collecting leaves and looking after trees and woodlands. Among the projects has been the environmental maintenance on an open space in Lawley and Overdale: a Green Guarantee site St Helier Drive in Dawley Bank. The area was cleared and a bench and planting was funded by the parish council and positioned to
The CAT Team have been busy enhancing footways, clearing rubbish and fly tips they discover on their rounds, undertaking work on green borders and open spaces and extra work in some churchyards and parks meaning they remain safe and look their best for any visitors to the area. Environment community liaison officer Richard Shaw said: “Extra cutting or pruning of hedgerows and borders can be delivered quickly, without additional bills and are vital in keeping areas looking their best. “These jobs are handed to the skilled team in response to extra inspections they undertake, or after members of the public feedback if they encounter something that needs attention.” “With an officer out ‘on the ground’ there is constant communication with residents, the enforcement teams and community-based organisations, meaning we are able to work together and tackle issues that make a big difference where it matters most. “This means the potential for things to get overlooked is now significantly reduced and if anything does need attention it can be sorted out quickly –
“The community Action Team (CAT) teams are a way of making small differences on the ground that mean a lot to residents, from clearing away graffiti, to cutting back overgrown footpaths
or litter picking. “They are able to move swiftly and deal quickly with local issues as a
priority for each area and address concerns promptly.”
Cllr Lee Carter Cabinet Member for
Neighbourhood, Commercial Services and Regeneration
provide peaceful views across the open space. Over time, additional wildflowers will be added to give an extra pop of colour and provide a mini haven for wildlife. It is small improvements like these, enabled by the CAT
project, that is making a big difference for life across our borough.
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£4M IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Planet B There is no
In 2019, Telford & Wrekin Council declared a climate emergency. It is now working, along with partners, to go carbon neutral by 2030 – and to reduce single-use plastic across the council by 2023.
numbers of schools are encouraging pupils to use bicycles or scooters to get to school, rather than travelling by car, bringing both health benefits and reducing CO 2 emissions. Nicola Moody is the head teacher at Newport CE Junior School, where Telford & Wrekin Council is covering half the £3,000 costs of a new bike shed for pupils to safely and securely store their cycles and scooters. She explained: “We have always encouraged pupils to cycle or scoot, and run proficiency and safety courses with the council. During the annual Big Pedal school cycling challenge we
The importance the council places on the issue of climate change is underlined by its commitment to spend £4m – a quarter of its £16m additional investment in the borough in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – on a range of sustainability projects. This means increased solar panels on buildings, increasing use of energy efficient LED lighting and electric vehicles, while businesses and community groups will be supported in their own efforts to fight against climate change. To reach net zero by 2030 in both council operations and the emissions across the borough, money will be invested in reducing energy use and developing renewable sources to meet residual demands. Engaging with young people is a key element in the drive to tackle climate change. Earlier in the year, children from local primary schools took part in a consultation on the Borough Partnership Action Plan around climate change. The children workshopped ideas and fed back on the areas they cared most about. Alongside major climate projects across the borough, increasing
£4m
climate change.
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£4M IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
“This is the biggest issue we face. We can’t wait for governments to take proper action. We can all play our part, and by working together. We are developing plans and investing in projects to reduce emissions for a carbon neutral borough by 2030. “The £4m commitment from the council will go a long way towards meeting our objectives.” Cllr Carolyn Healey Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment
School in Newport received a grant of £3,000 to install a bike shed to encourage cycle use by both staff and pupils, helping reduce air pollution in the area surrounding the secondary school in the centre of the town. Burton Borough’s student democracy and eco coordinator, Jodi Beaver, said: “A survey to all students found that at present, 32% of our students either cycle or walk to school. When asked what would encourage students to use their bike to travel, an overwhelming majority of 68% said that they wanted more secure facilities for their bike. “If we installed a new bike rack, the amount of students travelling by car could be reduced substantially, meaning that carbon reduction could be achieved. If just a quarter of the pupils (not including staff) in school made the switch to cycling, this could save on average nine tonnes of CO 2 emissions. It would also reduce the amount of pollution in the immediate surrounding areas. “Small things lead to big changes. For us, as a school, it’s really important to do our bit and do as much as we can to make a difference. It’s a real team effort here at Burton Borough, both students and staff are always keen to get involved and the great thing is that everyone has it in their power to make a difference.”
can have 200 pupils taking part out of a total of around 340. “We only have one bike shelter so we have limited space, which limits our efforts to encourage travel by bike or scooter – parents worry about bikes and scooters being damaged or stolen. “Thanks to the grant from the council’s Climate Change Fund, the new bike shelter will enable many more children to use their bikes or scooters – as well as our 50-strong staff. “By encouraging children to cycle we can build in habits for later life. And the more schools that encourage cycling, the more it will have an effect on traffic in the years to come. By backing lots of small projects like ours the council is helping build a substantial impact in the future.” In a similar move the Burton Borough
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£2M TO PROTECT OUR GREEN AND OPEN SPACES
Earlier this year an area of pools and pit mounds around the villages of Little Dawley, Horsehay, and Aqueduct was officially confirmed as the thirteenth Local Nature Reserve in Telford and Wrekin. Mother nature at work
The result of years of effort by locals, Dawley Hamlets Parish and Telford & Wrekin Councils has added 94 acres to the borough’s 515 acres of Local Nature Reserves (LNRs). The borough currently has four more sites on the waiting list for approval as reserves with the government’s Natural England agency. Green spaces have always been key to the layout of Telford new town and Telford & Wrekin Council has worked hard in recent years to preserve and protect these vital natural lungs, giving people of all ages and abilities the chance to get close to nature. As part of the council’s £16 million extra investment in the borough, £2 million will go towards enhancing and protecting these precious green and open spaces. The extra investment comes at an exciting time for the Friends of Dawley Hamlets LNR – those who work to promote the use of the reserve and help maintain it. Cllr Andy Burford, chair of Dawley Hamlets Parish Council said: “Telford & Wrekin Council are really good on
green spaces: preserving and protecting them, encouraging people to make the most of them and investing money from housing developments. “We are certainly hoping we may see some of the new money as we have exciting and ambitious plans for the reserve, including making more of its industrial history.” As well as designating more areas as LNRs, the council will be using the new investment money to create more Green Guarantee sites – so far 200 guarantees protect areas of council land from future development – as well as improving site access and installing more signage. Another team hoping for a share of the investment is the Friends of Apley Woods, a 56 acre LNR on a historic former country estate. Volunteer Julie Burroughs said: “The woods are popular with a wide range of people of all ages, particularly those with disabilities – the flat accessibility route being perfect for people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
“The Friends of Apley Woods was created in 2007 by a group of residents who formed a partnership with Cllr Karen Blundell and Adrian Corney, Telford & Wrekin’s environmental officer for the area. Fourteen years on, our 13 members have a weekly work party that works under the direction of Telford & Wrekin Council, helping to deliver an agreed management plan,. “When the group worked with the Hadley & Leegomery council Parish Environmental Team a few years ago we found it really useful to have a ‘man with a van’ available to help move materials around the site, as well as an additional person qualified to use power tools such as a hedge cutter and strimmer. It would be very helpful for us to have similar provision through the council’s new investment package.” Julie added: “Maintaining the woods for people and wildlife is a challenge, but with the support of Telford & Wrekin Council and investment from the fund, we feel this can be achieved.”
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£2M TO PROTECT OUR GREEN AND OPEN SPACES
to enhance and protect our precious green and open spaces. £2m
What is a Local Nature Reserve (LNR)? An LNR is a protected area where wildlife are left undisturbed. They may also protect geological features or other special interests. Reserves can also provide special opportunities for study or research.
Many of Telford’s Local Nature Reserves voluntary and ‘friends of’ groups host some fantastic events from guided walks to talks and courses and family fun days – find out more by signing up for local newsletters and social channels. Find out more about The Friends of Apley Woods www.apleywoods.co.uk i Seasonal Events
“
Green spaces are so valuable, not only in helping us address the climate emergency, but
also because they also offer huge benefits to physical and mental health. As we recover from the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic, our enhanced green spaces help us look forward to the brighter times that lie ahead.” Cllr Carolyn Healey Cabinet member for Visitor Economy, Historic and Natural Environment and Climate Change
Did you know? i Telford has 550 hectares of LNR – that’s TRIPLE the minimum recommended standard set by Natural England.
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£1M INTO OUR WONDERFUL PARKS
reclaimed Nature
into our wonderful parks. £1m
Today the award-winning park extends to 170 hectares – about 450 acres – with more than a third taken up by a Local Nature Reserve (LNR), attracting around 700,000 visitors a year. Once a site of mining, metalworking and railways, the park now includes play areas, an events arena, amphitheatre, bandstand, information centre, Wonderland visitor attraction for younger children, aerial rope courses and adventure golf, in addition to the pools, pit mounds, heathland, woodlands, meadows, grassland and picnic areas of the reserve. The Friends of Telford Town Park work alongside Telford and Wrekin Council to help maintain the extensive site. Friends chairman Chris Pettman explained: “There are around 28 of us at the moment with around a dozen regularly turning out for four hours every Wednesday to work at the park, usually concentrating around the formal gardens. “People don’t realise quite how far the park extends – it is around a mile and a half long by three quarters of a mile wide. As well as the LNR it has been designated a country park by the Government’s Natural England agency. It is one of the finest town parks in the country, a real jewel in our crown. Half a century ago Telford Town Park was a ‘brownfield’ site, a former industrial area left derelict and gradually reclaimed by nature. The creation of the new town in the 1960s and 1970s saw the site chosen as a ‘green lung’, at the heart of the community.
A jewel in the crown of Telford. Friends of Telford Town Park Chairman Chris Pettman.
“Before Covid we had big plans to recruit more volunteers and expand our work into the nature reserve. We have built up quite a bit of equipment over the years and desperately need new storage facilities. We’d also like to install a new eco-power system across the park.” Formed back in 2003, the Friends’ work over the past two decades was recognised last year when it received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Chris and his team now have their fingers crossed for a share of the extra £1m committed by the council to improving its seven borough parks as more than £16m invest programme. The council has committed the new funding to an ambitious programme of maintaining the Green Flag award standard across many of its parks while bringing more of them to that standard so they are among the best in the country. This builds on the continuing work of recent years, which most recently saw Dawley Park achieve Green Flag status. Right back when Telford was still on planners’ drawing boards, large
stretches of parkland were key to the concept of the new town. Parks remain at the heart of our communities as places to meet, play, exercise, relax. Telford & Wrekin Council continues to work in partnership with town and parish councils and Friends groups to manage the sites to a high standard – recognised by the awarding of Green Flag status. The aim of the new investment will be to maintain these high standards across all of the borough’s treasured parks.
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SKATE BEYOND THEM
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SKI BEYOND THEM
Visit us at Court Street, Madeley Telford TF7 5EE
Experience the Magic of Christmas AT IRONBRIDGE
Blists Hill Christmas Weekends 4, 5, 11 & 12 December 2021
Lots of festive entertainment, fun activities, traditional gift ideas and, of course, the chance to see Father Christmas! Book tickets now at IRONBRIDGE.ORG.UK Prebooking essential, no tickets available on the gate. Annual Passes are not valid for admission to this event.
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