workday session on 5th November

November can be rather unpredictable weather-wise so we were delighted that the forecast was for a dry day with some sunshine.
Friends of Mayow Park(FOMP)  had arranged with Glendale Lewisham (who manage the park) that they would come and do some necessary maintenance work with FOMP volunteers working alongside.
Some Glendale staff worked on planned maintenance work elsewhere around the park making the place look and sound like a hive of activity.
We've been awarded funding for more picnic benches - some at the other side of the park and  some for the picnic area, which is why we were sprucing it up.

Overgrown hedge hides seating

We wanted to tidy up the picnic area, clear away some of the overgrown hedge behind the space, tidy up the picnic benches which we acquired some years ago, clean up the sitting benches beside the overgrown hedge and refurbish the triangular green metal picnic table so it will be available to use for many more years.

Glendale brought equipment to cut back the hedge, water to jet wash the picnic benches, sand paper and paint.
While FOMP volunteers and some Glendale staff worked in the picnic area, others removed an old, battered and untidy noticeboard which had long stopped being useful. It took much effort to dig up the concrete base of that one and we were too busy working capture the effort on camera. They also repaired the other noticeboard facing the children's playground and picnic area.

scraping and sanding old paint and rust

sanded and ready for painting

primed and undercoated

First coat of green paint

Did all this effort make a difference?

The seating is visible

Hedge cleared, picnic bench painted

Paint for the picnic benches

We did one more special thing: Mayow Park, along with quite a few other Lewisham parks, was awarded another Green Flag. Glendale, with Pippa's help,  took down the old flag and put up the new one.

Pippa helps remove old flag 2018/19

Pippa prepares to hoist the new flag 2019/20

And then it was time for a group photo, but some were too busy to join us.

Some of us gathered for a photo opportunity

Thanks go to the Glendale managers and all their maintenance crew for coming along to enable FOMP to work alongside them.

Spruce up the picnic area 5 Nov 2019

FOMP workday session on 5th November 2019: by Pippa

Join FOMP volunteers to work alongside Glendale (the company that manages the park) to spruce up the picnic area adjacent to the children's playground, in readiness for the new tables and signage we should be getting soon with the funding we applied for.

Join us from 10 am to 2pm. Stay for an hour or longer. With the help of Glendale we will be hoisting the Green Flag awarded to the park a few months ago. 

😊👍

having a picnic on 5th June

The afternoon of 5th June was sunny with showers and not exactly warm, but people still came to have their Big Lunch picnic and used the new picnic benches.

Big Lunch picnic

One of the new picnic benches in their new location

the picnic area

The picnic area before the arrival of the benches

Big Lunch benches

Chris & Jason rebuild one of their benches for Mayow Park

Picnic benches in Mayow Park

Thanks to the generosity of Mastercard, the Friends of Mayow Park have  new picnic benches  for the picnic area. They were  originally part of a 90 metre long bench, built by CJ Benches and constructed near City Hall for a Big Lunch launch event on 25th May.  Then they were taken apart to be rebuilt as 3 metre long benches to be donated to the London boroughs.

Big Lunch in the picnic area

35 people came to take part in the Mayow Park Big Lunch  and brought their picnics. There were 4 separate groups but people in each group spoke to others. The light drizzle did not spoil the afternoon and luckily the heavy rain started after we all left. The picnic benches kindly donated by Mastercard for this occasion, were very useful and enabled everyone to find a seat.
The picnic benches were originally part of a 90 metre long picnic bench, erected near City Hall for a 'Big Lunch' event on 25th May. This super-long bench was then cut into manageable lengths and distributed among the local boroughs, with 2 of Lewisham's parks being lucky recipients. Photos of the benches will follow in a few days time.

Picnic benches

Friday 3rd June: Friends of Mayow Park took delivery of picnic benches, generously donated by Mastercard. These benches formed part of a 90 metre long picnic bench erected on 25th May near City Hall in support of the Big Lunch. The 90 metre bench was built by CJ Benches. It was later dismantled and distributed to the London boroughs in time to be set up in parks for the Big Lunch on 5th June. One picnic bench was installed at Grow Mayow and the rest in the picnic area adjacent to the children's playground on the western side of the park. Photos to follow!