Hello, I wonder if anyone could tell me a bit about the Mayow Park in Sydenham. Is it nice? Does it have a playground etc? Are there any nice cafes in the park or nearby that are suitable for a six year old? Feedback would be gratefully recieved. Many thanks.

You might like to read their blog which will tell you all about the exciting developments happening in association with Envirowork.

its a fairly nice park (although the horniman gardens are nicer and have better facilities/toilets/teashop/views). the ice cream van visits regullarly during the day which is a bonus!

Hi there, Emma from Friends of Mayow Park (FOMP) here...

There's lots going on in Mayow Park at the moment. On March 1st we were finally appointed our own permanent full-time Park-Keeper, Gilles. Since then, the park has really improved - it's free of litter, he's performing low-maintenance jobs like filling in pot-holes, edging grass and just his presence is deterring any petty crime that used to exist in the past.

On July 18th, Iris in the Envirowork nursery is hosting a Big Lunch from 1pm. This is the final day in the Sydenham Arts Festival Visual Arts Trail, so maybe you could combine it while you're around the area. Get in touch with Iris if you want to get involved to meet some of your neighbours: enviroworklewisham@gmail.com

Other news from last week's meetings will be featured in Tuesday's South London Press....

Summer Activities for Under 5s
Ross Walker from TeachSport has put in a tender for funds for under 5s activities in Mayow Park during the summer which will include mobile equipment such as a mini-gym, tunnels, story-telling and theatre. This sounds very exciting so let us hope the funding bid is successful. Watch for publicity around the summer holidays. Ross Walker is also development Officer for Cricket with Kent Cricket Club and has been working with Peter Ranken (Envirowork CEO) on the park’s cricket project.

Cricket Update
Funding has been secured by Envirowork Lewisham, the local social enterprise that employs and trains long-term unemployed people, for the construction of 16 cricket squares for Mayow Park from the London Marathon Charitable Trust and the England Wales Cricket Board.

The contract for this part of the project will be handled directly by Lewisham Council and a contractor, Bancroft Amenities, has been appointed, subject to approval by Mayor and Cabinet Contracts in July. Work is anticipated to start in August.

In addition, Envirowork has also been awarded funding from the England and Wales Cricket Board and The Big Lottery to purchase equipment to maintain the cricket square and also to develop and maintain the outfields.

This work will start in September and it is hoped, weather permitting to have the ground ready for play in May/June 2011.

Area for Older Children
During a positive meeting last Friday, we were offered a further £20-25K from Greenscene's Park Improvement funds. It is also possible to get further funds from each of Perry Vale and Sydenham's Localities Funds via the Wards' Assemblies. This will add to the £60K that is available for the Area for Older Children project. This project is on target, at the detailed design phase and developing well with exciting play eqipment for ages 10+. Since this area is linear, extra equipment can be added over time.

Paths and Boundaries
We are exploring the possibility of removing the internal secondary fencing along this northern boundary and talked about planting a variety of fruit and nut plants in place.

We drew Greenscene's attention to the patches of path near the Recreation Road entrance which are in a very poor condition. It was agreed that funds be set aside to improve this part of the path as the first step to improving the paths throughout the park.

Emma Tarling & Alona Sheridan, FOMP

check our blog: http://www.mayowpark.wordpress.com
Join our group: Friends of Mayow Park (FOMP) Facebook Group.

I forgot to say that although there's no cafe in the park yet, there are plans to develop the Pavilion to create a community-lead cafe in conjunction with Envirowork and other local groups, such as Sydenham Garden. The idea is we can grow our own, create our own and eat our own in the park. Although no fixed time schedule for this at the moment, the Pavilion refurbishment is part of the long-term cricket project/funding. Watch this space...

I was there yesterday around 4pm and the ice cream van parks outside the Silverdale entrance. It's not allowed in the park without special permission from Glendale.

The toilet's officially open again - if it's locked, just ask a Glendale/Park-Keeper to unlock it.

Hope this helps...
Emma

Wow! Thank you so much for all the great responses, to Mummycat in particular, very comprehensive! Good luck with all the funding. It all sounds very worthwhile. We'll definitely make a trip to the park to check it out. I really like the Hornimans and we have gone there a number of times but he often goes with school so it's nice to go somewhere different. Thanks again.

Iris Borgers (Envirowork) and FOMP are organising The Big Lunch next Sunday (18th July) from 12:30pm, in front of the Pavilion and the Nursery Yard.

This will be a good opportunity to sample the produce from Mayow Park’s Community Garden. We have won a Riverford Organic “bumper hamper” and sponsorship from Wrigley’s chewing gum, which means free samples for all guests!

Wrigley’s are also supplying us with a Human Table Football for entertainment for everyone. It’s a team event: players are held by Velcro harnesses and can only move laterally, with up to five players on each team. Take on your neighbours!!

Emma & Iris
http://www.mayowpark.wordpress.com
http://envirowork.blogspot.com/

Hi there, funny you should post this as we actually went there yesterday. I was very impressed, lovely big open space with some beautiful old trees. I think I saw the vegetable area too. You have clearly been busy! We'll definitely be going back. A cafe would be a great addition because we got very thirsty playing frisby in the sunshine!

Hi everybody -

Don't forget to bring some food to share with your neighbours this Sunday, in front of the Pavilion. Wrigley's are sponsoring this event and supplying free gum samples and providing an inflatable human table football for entertainment. We have also won a Riverford Organic bumper hamper for the occasion.

Members of the Mayow Park Bowls Club will be playing from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday. An ideal opportunity to try out bowling and ask about joining the club. If you're interested, either turn up and speak to Peter Headicar on Sunday, or ring him on 020 8699 9306.

Have fun!
Emma (FOMP) & Iris (Envirowork)

A couple of posters have appeared in Mayow Park notifying park users of the construction of a cricket square on the central grassed oval, starting 25th August (next Wednesday).

This means that an area of 30x40m will be fenced off (with Heras Fencing) to allow the excavation and grass seed to take. It should only take 2 weeks and will be carried out by contractors Bancroft Amenities. Meanwhile, Envirowork have promised to display notices to inform us what's happening.

Similar work is currently underway at Hilly Fields:


Please see blog for more details: http://www.mayowpark.wordpress.com

Thanks
Emma Tarling