Surrey Playing Fields Newsletter

Transcription

1 The Playing Field Summer 2014 Surrey Playing Fields Newsletter Working for the Future Jim Faulkner & David Gill with APII Award Surrey Playing Fields is committed to partnership working. We are volunteers but we call upon the skills of professionals who work in Sport and Play. However, we must not neglect the development of our own skills. In June our Chairman, Director and Hon. Secretary attended the Annual Conference of the County Playing Fields held at Kenilworth. Contents 1 Working for the future 2 From the County Sec s Desk 3 P&G Surrey School Games 3 P&G Surrey Youth Games 4 Play Green Elements 5 QEII & Centenary Fields 6 QEII & Centenary Fields This meeting is for the County Playing Fields Associations and other organisations concerned with securing open space. We looked at the history of the playing fields movement, the current position and how it might develop in the future. Gerry Ceaser, our Chairman, gave the presentation on possible future developments. A number of companies who provide children s play equipment showed how the market might develop and differing solutions to the needs of rural and urban communities. This also covered the use of outdoor gym equipment. There were talks on: Inspirational ideas/good practice in developing facilities and usage (aiming for multi-purpose facilities for people of all stages of development and abilities), Recent national policy reports and statements relevant to the playing field movement, given by Simon Butler of the Sport and Recreation Alliance, How to draw up a 10 year plan and help available including working with partners, given by Rosie Benson, Relationship Manager, NGBs, Sport England, Building in ongoing sustainability management and maintenance, given by Dave Leighton, Club Support and Services Manager, The England and Wales Cricket Board. Making sure that playing fields continue to be provided in response to local need amid other development pressures (value of neighbourhood and other community-led Plans and the Community Right to Bid) CPFA advisory role. Individual counties did contribute and Surrey won the Association of Play Inspectors International award for the best project of the year. We are passing on the knowledge we gained to our volunteers and they should be able assist you with development information as well as financial assistance. 7 Have a Field Day Wonersh 8 SPF Contacts 8 News from Partners This newsletter is produced quarterly by Surrey Playing Fields 9 Copse Edge Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 7DU Tel jim_faulkner@talk21.com Web Site:

2 The work of the Surrey County Playing Fields Association is funded by subscriptions from local authorities at county and district levels and parish and town councils. It also receives funding from Sports Clubs and individuals. Details are in our Annual Report. We thank them all. Organisations on SCPFA Advisory Committee Surrey County Athletic Association Surrey County Council Surrey County Football Association Surrey County Lawn Tennis Association Surrey County Rugby Football Union Surrey Cricket Board Surrey Sports Board Active Surrey Surrey Police Surrey Community Action We are grateful for their support and wise counsel. The inclusion of any products or services in this newsletter implies no endorsement by the SCPFA. Whilst every care is taken with the content, no responsibility can be accepted for errors or admissions made in good faith. From the County Sec s Desk 2 Geoffrey Barron Perkins We are sad to report the death of Geoffrey who joined the Surrey County Playing Fields Association in He became an Area Development Officer at the Annual General Meeting in October of that year, covering Epsom & Ewell, Reigate & Banstead, Tandridge. When we reorganised the Surrey County Playing Fields Association in 2010, he became Borough Development Officer for Reigate and Banstead. He retired at the Annual General Meeting in October Geoff Perkins represented the Association on Reigate and Banstead Sports Council and has supported their activities. He was a keen golfer who played at Walton on the Hill. Geoff was born in Croydon in Like a number of our volunteers he was a surveyor. We knew him when he lived in Chipstead. He was brought up in Pett Level in Geoff Perkins in the foreground in Sussex, where he still had a home. He supported Sussex Robin Elsdon-Dew s Garden County Cricket Club and was keen on encouraging his family to take part in sport. I understood that although keen on cricket, he never walked up the hill to watch Pett Cricket Club. Over the years he arranged loans for, amongst others: Hillcrest Netball Club, Redhill Football Club, South Park Sports Association. He also arranged for a number of grants. These have included money for the provision of play equipment, CCTV for a pavilion, goal posts for a number of sports, and various pieces of sports ground equipment. The sports supported include: cricket, cycling, lacrosse, rugby union. Geoff s involvement has been wide ranging. We appreciated his work, as I am sure do the many organisations that he has assisted with finance and advice. Welcome Mike Armitage Surrey Playing Fields would like to welcome Mike Armitage as the new Borough Development Officer for Elmbridge. His contact details are on the back of this newsletter and on our website. He has retired from the IT business. Amongst many interests, he enjoys his cricket and is vey involved with Surrey County Seniors Cricket. We are already benefitting from his enthusiasm. Mole Valley Borough Development Officer Philip Sears has had to retire after many years. He works as a volunteer and coach for many organisations and increased responsibilities has meant he no longer has the time to be our BDO. We thank him for his hard work and are sure that the many clubs he has assisted will miss him. In the short term, Barry Hitchcock will cover this area. We are looking for someone to take this post. We will provide training and support. If you are interested, please contact Barry Hitchcock whose details are on the back page of this newsletter. Mike Armitage Surrey Playing Fields Website Our website is It has been updated to link to a number of relevant websites. These include the County Playing Fields Association s new website and the Sports and Play Contractors Association s site. These contain information on standards and national news on matters affecting the development and maintenance of playing fields. Our site also contains advice on how to obtain support from us. Please look at it.

3 P&G Surrey School Games Summer Festival 3 The P&G Surrey School Games is part of the national Sainsbury s School Games programme and Surrey's Olympic legacy. It is a year round calendar of competitions and events that over 10,000 young people compete in. The calendar is made up of over 75 competitions and 3 festival days, with over 300 schools taking part. Over 400 children from schools across Surrey took part in the P&G Surrey School Games Summer Festival, which forms part of the Sainsbury s School Games County Finals. The event held on July 2nd at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford featured seven different sports and also saw 94 event leaders volunteer their time to help officiate and support the competitors as they battled for the day s honours. Children competed in Goalball, Tri-Golf, Mini tennis, Orienteering, Multi Skills Rounders and Secondary Rounders with each event being won by different schools. The spirit of volunteering was evident throughout the P&G Surrey School Games Summer Festival as Therfield provided six event leaders and the competition also hosted five Goalball leaders from Salesians; 14 Tri-Golf leaders from Epsom & Ewell High; 16 Rounders leaders from Sir William Perkins; 40 Multi Skills leaders from Salesians and SJB & Rydens; eight Tennis leaders from Therfield and five Rounders leaders from Rodborough. The full list of results was: Goalball 1 st place The Abbey C, 2 nd place Sunbury Manor B, 3 rd place Sunbury Manor B. Tri-Golf 1 st place St John s, Redhill, 2 nd place Connaught, 3 rd place Holy Trinity. Tennis 1 st place Our Lady of the Rosary, 2 nd place Ravenscote, 3 rd place St James. Primary Rounders 1 st place St Ann s Heath School, 2 nd place St Pauls Primary, Dorking, 3 rd place Holland School. Secondary Rounders 1 st place Sir William Perkins School, 2 nd place Howard of Effingham, 3 rd place Gordons School. Orienteering 1 st place Shawfields, 2 nd place The Dawnay School. Multi skills 1 st place North Downs, 2 nd place Walton Oak, 3 rd place St Josephs. P&G Surrey Youth Games The 18th annual P&G Surrey Youth Games saw 2,000 young competitors battle for the weekend s honours in what was for many their first countywide competition. Held at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford from June 21-22, Reigate & Banstead topped the Borough rankings on 91 points just ahead of Woking, who finished runners-up on 89 points. Sports such as badminton, football, boccia, hockey, netball and squash all featured in a packed line-up of events across the two days, which saw competitors from all eleven Surrey districts and boroughs display their very best sporting talents. Notable attendees at the event included the local authority mayors, leaders and chairs, representatives from Procter & Gamble, Surrey Sports Park and Active Surrey, The High Sheriff of Surrey and David Munro, Chairman of Surrey County Council. We congratulate Spelthorne, who won the Surrey Playing Fields Fair Play Award. A certificate and a cheque will be presented at our Annual General Meeting. The event has many enthusiastic volunteers We congratulate them The competitors know how to enjoy the day

4 Play Green Elements 4 Entering a play area can now so often quizzically amount to questioning whether the grass maintenance contractor is just a little too keen to demonstrate their ability to generate Silverstone wheel spin, or that every side of the playground needs to be manicured to the exact land registry boundary line. Where are the edges, perhaps a little untidy, that shelter the slugs, snails and butterfly larvae that can promote inquisitive experiences of what is so necessary for children s ranging experiences and development? It is so important that children s understanding of acceptable environments is not solely focused on the hard and sterile settings of concrete paving, tarmac footpaths and vast swathes of meaningless mown grass that offer no focus for play activities. Yes, sports areas importantly need to enable the run of the ball. However, play experiences for growing children require more than just sanitised islands of black Impact Absorbing Surfaced swings and roundabouts. Children s play areas can offer more opportunities than experiencing height and movement. A TV episode of David Attenborough may be great if attention span is there; but tactile first hand experiences, however short, can be life changers. Direct physical contact with plants, decaying branches or tree trunks, with their skittering bugs and slimy molluscs, whilst not initially inviting, are a justified part of play areas of whatever size. Yes, that log may crumble when stood on; what better way to encourage awareness and engagement of children with nature. Especially in our increasingly urbanised and cleansed environment, contact with growing and dying elements provides an important understanding about nature and a child s relationship with it. Do play areas in their entirety need to be cut and clipped back, is there not a corner or boundary that can be allowed to offer such awareness opportunities? Are late summer blackberries or autumn hawthorn berries solely for viewing on TV or Wikipedia via the internet? What is a stinging nettle or a bramble, are they only for children whose parents that can take their children out into the countryside or visit National Trust gardens and woods? That plants are a part of nature and many have their own protection systems should be part of children s understanding. Plants do not always need to be trimmed back or removed and replaced by paths and hard surfaces that are kept clear and clean by chemicals and machinery. Of course sensible maintenance needs to be taken to ensure that entrances and other access points have their planting well trimmed so that tree branches do not infringe the use areas of play equipment. However that leaves so much opportunity to encourage existing vegetation to develop into wild life habitats without the expense of developing a local Wildlife Zoo! Robust SAFETY Inspections Yes, children hopefully may start to understand that all plants are not smooth or necessarily friendly and that grass can grow higher than 5cm and does not need to be always cut. Grass can be slippery when wet, ants do exist outside school classroom areas. Perhaps being lucky enough to see the iridescent colours on a scuttering beetle or patrolling damsel fly, they will have experienced the joy of nature in their own play environment. What could be better for our children? Jean Wenger Surrey Playing Field Play Advisor - August 2014 Play & Sports areas, Parks, Ponds, Schools & Gyms Detailed reports inspecting to approved UK & EU Standards Risk Benefit Assessment & Guidance for prioritising actions Identifying photographs & advice on problems found Quality Seal RPII Annual Play Inspectors Independent of any manufacturer or maintenance company Training courses for weekly & ¼ ly inspectors (Ofqual registered) 30+ years experience Surrey County PFA Children s Play Advisor Institute of Expert Witnesses full member Contact Today Active Risk Management Services Ltd jeanwenger@activerms.org Haslemere Recreation Ground

5 Queen Elizabeth II & Centenary Fields 5 Centenary Fields aims to secure recreational spaces in perpetuity to honour the memory of the millions of people who lost their lives in World War I. Through this new programme, landowners across the UK will be encouraged to dedicate at least one recreational space as a Centenary Field. This will commemorate this significant milestone in our history and create a tangible local legacy that will be valued by communities for generations to come. These spaces can include war memorial parks and playing fields given in memory of those who lost their lives, or other significant green spaces. It is a commemorative project led by Fields in Trust and The Royal British Legion. Surrey Playing Fields will assist with the project in Surrey. On 16th July, his Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge visited Coventry to launch Centenary Fields. During his visit to War Memorial Park, Coventry the first green space to be dedicated as part of the Centenary Fields programme His Royal Highness laid a wreath at the foot of the war memorial, which was dedicated by Field Marshal Earl Haig in 1927 as one of his last official acts as President of the Legion before his death. Following this, the Duke took part in sport and educational activities and helped local school children sow poppy seeds as part of the Legion s Centenary Poppy Campaign. He unveiled a plaque at the park and signed the Centenary Fields Deed of Dedication, said: "I am delighted that Fields in Trust have identified these Centenary Fields as a vital part of our national heritage and well-being, which we cannot take for granted. Working with The Royal British Legion, Fields in Trust will encourage and cajole Local Authorities all across the country to follow Coventry s lead to safeguard Centenary Fields in their area. I have no doubt that they will succeed, but only if they have help. I encourage Local Authorities to support this cause and to safeguard these living spaces of remembrance for generations to come." Fields in Trust have been in touch with local authorities. In Surrey, by July they had received just one response confirming non-participation that was from Surrey Heath. Five councils have responded to confirm that they are considering the programme they are: Elmbridge: The CEO has passed the matter to Ian Burrows for consideration. They have sent further information to Ian and await a response. Mole Valley: Keen to dedicate a Centenary Field and are currently considering eligible sites. Reigate & Banstead: Similarly positive. They have been provided with a template report to assist them in presenting the opportunity to council. Tandridge: Requested further information which was provided, but no further feedback as yet. Woking: Very positive possibly two sites could come forward. Information sent recently, so FIT will follow up in a couple of weeks. Non-respondents thus far FIT are following up: Epsom & Ewell, Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Waverley, Surrey County Council. Surrey Playing Fields encourage all councils to support this scheme. We are working closely with Fields in Trust. Please talk to us if you need more information. The QE ll Challenge was a great success; please make sure Surrey is again one of the leading counties. Queen Elizabeth ll Fields are still in the news. Fields in Trust report that there is still support for Have a Field Days. Have a Field Day is Fields in Trust s programme to help you get your community together for fun in the fresh air on your local Fields in Trust site. We know that there have been days on the fields at Wonersh and in Spelthorne. We would like details and pictures of any other days held in Surrey. Details of support are available on the Fields in Trust web site.

6 Queen Elizabeth II & Centenary Fields 6 continued Amongst the items provided is a Have a Field Day goodie box. What is in the goodie box? Organisers of Have a Field Day events in 2014 will receive a goodie box packed full of items to help with an event. To receive a goodie box, simply register your event on the Fields in Trust web site The goodie box contents are as follows: 7 Have a Field Day T-Shirts, 100m Ticker tape / Winning line tape, 12 eggs and spoons for an Egg and Spoon race, 16 Medals - 6 Gold, 5 Silver and 5 Bronze, 30m Bunting (100 lucky boxes will get double this!), 3 A1 Posters to advertise your day, 7 Kites, 2 Bat and ball sets, 1 Football, 5 Handclappers, 3 Sashes and a few other bits and pieces. In our previous newsletter we reported on the success of the Surrey Legacy Fund with 245,000 being awarded to QE ll fields in Surrey. The picture on the right of the field in Shere is shown on the Fields in Trust web site. The 10,000 allocated to this site is actually being spent on bringing the tennis courts back into use. This will allow junior coaching to restart. They have been presented with their plaque. I hope to show photographs of the courts in the next newsletter. Fox Corner at Guildford are a wildlife centre. They needed a specialist mower and we understand that they have been provided with money towards this. We have been assisting Worth Parish Council by talking to Fields in Trust about the playing field situated in Surrey. After some investigation it was found that the field is still registered as a King George V Field. It had not, as previously reported, been deregistered. The plaques had been removed and FIT are talking to the parish council about providing new plaques. I know of other King George V fields in Surrey which need new plaques. If the owners need to replace them, please contact us. The photograph on the left shows the new pavilion at Copthorne. Pavilion on KGV Field at Copthorne in Worth PC Nineteen landowners obtained grants from the Surrey Legacy Fund. The money was allocated to 29 fields. The projects are about 45% sport, 45% children s play and 10% wildlife related. Runnymede will be providing a new boardwalk and viewing platform at Chertsey Meads and playground equipment at Heathervale Recreation Ground. Epsom & Ewell BC are spending the money on 7 fields. One will have its tennis courts resurfaced. The others will have outdoor gym and playground equipment. As a change from equipment, Hindhead Playing Fields Association are spending some of its money on helping coaches to obtain FA coaching badges and on providing coaching sessions. As a keen, but very average, table tennis player, I was pleased to see that outdoor table tennis facilities are being provided at four sites. We congratulate everyone who obtained grants and understand all the hard work they had to put in. I will try and visit a number of the sites and take photographs. If anyone wishes to show what has been achieved, I will be pleased to hear from them and would be delighted to receive a photograph.

7 Have a Field Day at Wonersh 7 One village has sent a report on their day and we are pleased to include it. Wonersh villagers celebrated the designation of their sports ground as a QEII Field by holding a Field Day in the form of a fair on Sunday, 13th July. Most of the village organisations were involved. There was a plant stall and various village stalls highlighting the activities of their clubs, a BBQ, both Pimms and Beer tents and a large, well patronised tea tent. Events were organised throughout the afternoon, including traditional children's races with prizes provided by Fields in Trust, who had also helped to decorate the fair with lots of appropriate bunting. During the afternoon the plaque commemorating the QEII Field designation was unveiled by Parish Councillor and Chairman of Wonersh Sports Club, Richard Bawden. He explained that the playing field was created from marshland in the early 1950s in place of a traditional Second World War memorial and had subsequently been extended to include a children's playing field, all of which is included in the QEII designation. The plaque is sited on the front of Wonersh Sports Pavilion, which was rebuilt 15 years ago with the help of National Lottery funding. Surrey Playing Fields were involved in originally alerting the Parish Council, the freeholders of this area of Common Land, to the benefits of QEII designation, particularly the special streams of funding that are available. This has already borne fruit in the form of a grant of over 8,000 from the Surrey Legacy Fund provided by the London Marathon Charitable Trust for the provision of an outdoor table tennis table and a ball hoop to cater especially for teenagers in the children's playground. This, again, followed advice from Surrey Playing Fields regarding the availability of this fund.

8 Surrey Playing Field Contacts 8 We have a contact for each council area in Surrey. We have one officer who looks after county wide projects; he can also put you in touch with the officer who is appropriate for your request. The details are shown below. County Development Officer Mr Barry Hitchcock, MBE, Tel: barry.hitchcock@gmx.co.uk Borough Development Officers Elmbridge Mr Mike Armitage, Tel: , mike.j.armitage@btinternet.com Epsom & Ewell Mr William Eve, Tel: , helen.howlett@ramhouse.co.uk Guildford Dr Mike Clark, Tel: , mikemclark@btinternet.com Mole Valley Mr Barry Hitchcock, MBE, Tel: barry.hitchcock@gmx.co.uk Reigate & Banstead Mr Mike Hughes, Tel: , mikehhughes60@gmail.com Runnymede Mr Keith Heal, Tel: , wkheal@sky.com Spelthorne Mrs Shirley Winson, s.winson@care4free.net Surrey Heath Mr Grant Simmons, gsimmons@ravenscote.surrey.sch.uk Tandridge Mr Denham Earl, Tel: , dm_laearl@hotmail.com Waverley - Eastern Mr Martin Maybrey BEM, Tel: , martin.maybrey@btinternet.com Waverley - Western Mr Brian Greig, Tel: , briangreig@fsmail.net Woking Cllr Ian Eastwood, Tel , cllrian.eastwood@woking.gov.uk Other Officers you may need to contact are: Director Mr David Gill, Tel: , dandcgill@sky.com Honorary Planning Officer Paul Garber Dip TP, Dairy House, The Street, Capel, Dorking RH5 5ER Tel: pgarber@btinternet.com Children s Play Provision and Safety Advisor Mr Jean Wenger MIEW RPIIAM, 50 Hurst Park Road, Twyford, RG10 0EY Tel jeanwenger@activerms.org News from Partners Chief Executive Surrey County FA The members of Surrey Playing Fields congratulate Caroline McRoyall on being appointed Chief Executive of Surrey FA. She has sat on our advisory committee for a number of years and has worked very closely with Active Surrey and Surrey Cricket Board. Caroline joined the Surrey FA in October 2007 as County Development Manager, following working at the London FA and previous to that at the London Borough of Merton. She also had a spell of four years with the county in a voluntary capacity as the County Coaching Representative for Women s Football between 1998 and 2002 prior to the FA s investment in Football Development Officers. Although Caroline will be leaving our committee, we are certain that we will continue to work together and look forward to meeting her replacement on our advisory team, Paul Jones. Our Association is very grateful to all its advisors; their knowledge is invaluable.