Dear Community Member,

Please click to download a Minute of the last ParkLife Public Meeting that took place at Out of the Blue in The Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street on 31 January 2006. We would like to thank those who were able to attend for being there and braving the cold weather.

We have also enclosed an overall update in this letter on park-related activity and advise the next steps we propose to progress the regeneration of the Park .

We ask that you kindly take the time to give feedback on a Draft Constitution to establish a 'Friends of Dalmeny Street Park' Group and register your interest in joining the group within a Feedback Form that we would like to receive by 21 April 2006.

This feedback will be collated in time for the next ParkLife meeting to be held on Thursday 27 April, 7pm, at Pilmeny Youth Centre.

1. Draft Constitution for the Friends of Dalmeny Street Park and Feedback Form (click to download)

Further to discussion at the last meeting, a draft Constitution is enclosed for your consideration.

Your views and ideas on this are important to the success of this Project. At the April meeting we will discuss amendments arising out of the feedback and ratify the Constitution, electing Committee members. Please refer to the separate Feedback Form enclosed for your comments.

The Constitution will set out the objectives of the Group, the general and/or specific focus of its activities to support the Park's 'life', and will record the appointment of a Group Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. The Friends of Dalmeny Street Park will enable the Park to be Community-led with a formally structured and organised body that can represent the Community in any fund-raising, training or events activities. It will be up to the Group to decide and coordinate the priorities for the Park’s development and how that is managed. It is hoped that the Group will be made up of local residents and other people or businesses who have different experiences and expertise and who are interested in the appropriate and successful regeneration of Dalmeny Street Park.

Rob Hoon and volunteers Annie Woodman and Lise Bratton have begun research into potential funding that will enable the Friends of Dalmeny Street Park to test and develop ideas for the Park. A formally constituted Friends Group is an important step in this regard. It will mean that the Community is in a position to work toward defining a Project Plan and is eligible to apply for appropriate funding to help realise the Project. Out of the Blue intend to continue to help facilitate the project, suggesting activity and providing any relevant expertise to help take the project forward.

2. Community Garden

Further to the interest expressed in developing a Community Garden as part of the overall Park regeneration, and to the subsequent research and presentation at the January meeting by Lise and Annie, it is anticipated that funding will be available specifically for the planning of a Community Garden.

The Community Garden might be considered as one part of a phased approach to the Project. At the meeting, it was proposed that a field trip be planned for inspirational visits to other successful public garden projects and once the Friends Group has been constituted, we can move forward with this as part of the first development phase of the Project. This development phase might also include creative planning/visioning sessions, design development and consultation on the suitability of the site for a Community Garden and other feasibility issues.

Please contact Lise and Annie on contact numbers below if you would like to find out more about their presentation.

3. CowParade public art project

Cowparade is the world’s largest public art project; with up to 100 decorated fibre glass cows expected to graze the streets, parks and historic locations of Edinburgh, the CowParade raises money for charity and encourages Communities to get involved. The cows will be displayed from May 15th until July 23^rd.

To highlight the regeneration of Dalmeny Park and continue the interest from Pilmeny Youth Project , young people are working with artist, Zoe Dudziak, to decorate a life size fibre glass cow on the theme of ‘turning over a new leaf’.

4. Community day in the Park

We would like to collaborate with the annual Leith Festival to organise a Community networking event in the Park, with a Barbecue, demonstration planting, and Community Garden “Wishing Tree or Wishing Fence” where local people will be encouraged to make their wishes for the Garden - an idea for the Friends Group to consider! As with every aspect of the Park’s regeneration, this Day in the Park will be subject to Council agreement.

5. Further information on Parklife

We look forward to your views and should you have any queries or ideas that you’d like to discuss, please do not hesitate to call Rob, Zoe, Lise or Annie.

Please note that the full background to the ParkLife Project so far, including community consultation and survey results, can be found on OOTB’s website at www.outoftheblue.org.uk .Should you require a paper copy, please let us know on the contact numbers below and we’ll be happy to send it out to you.

Out of the Blue Rob Hoon or Zoe Dudziak 0131 555 7101,

Parklife volunteers

Annie Woodman 07941618238, e: anniewoodman@aol.com

Lise Bratton 07776043786, e: mail@lisebratton.com

Finally, we would like to extend our apologies for the delay in communication since the last meeting which is largely owing to recent temporary staff level changes which affected resources allocated to the project.

We look forward to receiving your feedback forms by 21 April and hope to see you at the next meeting on Thursday 27 April at Pilmeny Youth Centre towards the next exciting stage in the Parklife project.

Minute of a meeting held on Tuesday 31 January 2006 at
Out of the Blue, The Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street, Leith

The purpose of the meeting was to propose the establishment of a community 'Friends of Dalmeny Street Park' Group for the regeneration of Dalmeny Street Park and to present an example of a similar group that is running successfully (Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Gardens).

The meeting was attended by 21 people comprising residents and representatives from community, environment and local government sectors.

Rob Hoon, Coordinator of Out of the Blue, introduced the meeting, outlined the reasons for the need to set-up a local 'Friends of Dalmeny Street Park' group and explained the meeting was an opportunity to build an understanding as to how such an organised group can run, create change and develop the scope of the park.

Why a Friends group?

• To bring together members of the community who wish to actively support the park

• To coordinate activity to improve overall scheme of park and facilities for various users

• To represent the community in asserting more control and ownership of its park enabling access to funding, training and support opportunities

• To promote the park and its redevelopment as an asset to the Leith and wider community

• To develop inclusive activities that enhance and increase community use of the park

Additional information was provided in presentations made by Mr Mitchell Manson, Chairman of the Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Gardens, a nearby public park (between McDonald Road and Annandale Street) and two volunteers who have been researching and developing the prospect of a community garden forming part of the redevelopment activity in Dalmeny Street Park.

Of the people who attended the meeting, approximately ten comprised local residents and it was noted that the following agencies were represented showing that the regeneration of Dalmeny Street Park is of interest to the wider Community.

Rob Hoon- Out of the Blue

Jeff Frew- Edinburgh Voluntary Organisation Council

Steven Cuthill- City of Edinburgh Council (Parks Department)

Helen Pank - Scottish Officer, The Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens

Deborah Wilson - Project Co-ordinator, Thistle Community Wildlife Garden, Craigmillar

Kate Wimpress, Capital City Partnership

Bryan Maughan, Youth Worker, Pilmeny Youth Centre

Stuart Blaik, Chair, Lorne Community Council

Evelyn Mitchell, Information Officer, LEEP, Lothians and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership

Presentation on Hopetoun Crescent Gardens

Mitchell Manson, chairman of the group Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Gardens, Leith, gave an outline of how the group was established, what it entails for members and what it has achieved in the years since it was constituted.

The Hopetoun Crescent site had become a derelict and uncared-for space when the friends group took it on. The group's aim is to encourage and promote the conservation and enhancement of Hopetoun Crescent Gardens. Mitchell Manson described the transformation of the site that was made possible by the energy and enthusiasm of the group. He also said that vandalism, a problem before the group’s activities, had become almost non-existent.

The group organises monthly tidy-up sessions in the garden as well as a range of social and educational events and are the driving force behind the on-going development of the space.

The question was raised as to whether the group had taken over the responsibilities of the Council in the upkeep of this public space and whether this would be the case at Dalmeny Street. Mitchell Manson disagreed that this was the case as the Council still allocated funds and manpower to the maintenance of the Garden.

Steven Cuthill, Parks Officer for City of Edinburgh Council, stated that community-led redevelopment of the park does not preclude council maintenance of the space. He stated the council was encouraging of community partnerships, would offer support where possible and that friends groups are able to apply for funding that the Council is unable to access.

Presentation on community garden prospect

Through the ParkLife art project (June 2006), community surveys and feedback recorded at previous public meetings, community interest had highlighted the possibility of part of the park being developed as a community garden. To that end, Rob Hoon invited Lise Bratton and Annie Woodman, two volunteers interested in the Park’s regeneration, to present their recent research on community gardens. Their aim was to give the meeting an idea of what a community garden might mean and look like to Dalmeny Street Park

They did this by showing a wide variety of community gardens in Scotland and the rest of the UK that have been developed by volunteers to give as broad an idea as possible of what a committed local community group can achieve. Their examples highlighted spiritual and reflective gardens, commemorative gardens, gardens that celebrate cultural diversity and that focus on education, health, biodiversity and conservation.

They explained their findings on the benefits that such a project can bring to a community. Looking at the evidence provided by many real examples as well as formally gathered statistics, these include:

• regenerated spaces: provision of safe and attractive gathering places for all ages

• significantly reduced vandalism

• a regained sense of pride in one’s Community

• health – mental and physical well-being: exposure to exercise and fresh air, improved diet and knowledge, therapeutic activity, treating isolation through community development

• educational volunteer training providing new skills and possible social enterprise, school curriculum/extra curriculum activities, environmental awareness

• encouraging art and creativity: through workshops and commissioned works

• environmental improvements: urban regeneration, conservation and biodiversity

The presentation provided many examples that supported the idea that the regular activity generated by a working Community Garden would act as a catalyst for change in the Park encouraging people to see the Park differently and, in turn, behave differently towards it.

Residents raised concern about security and the prospect of a garden as a target for vandalism. The experience provided by Helen Pank, Scottish Officer, Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, who has worked in a major community garden in London's east end and who now supports many community projects in Scotland, revealed that the increased engagement of people on garden sites deterred the adverse activity that neglected spaces often attract and indeed, increased involvement from young people who are identified as more challenging to engage.

Also, Deborah Wilson, Project Worker, Thistle Community Wildlife Garden, Craigmillar, said apart from minor vandalism during the set up of the Thistle garden, there had been no vandalism since the garden (which is located within an open community off Niddrie Mains Road) has established itself in two-and-a-half years with regular activity.

A garden could also provide the foundation for a programme of events and activity that offer people healthy opportunities to learn new skills (such as access to free workshops run by agencies such as Edinburgh Green Belt Trust, Soil Association, LEEP) and participate, not only through gardening, but through other related projects such as sport, art and music, festivals and markets, etc.

This information on community gardens was presented to expand the possibilities that people may consider for how the park can be improved. It was clarified that it was up to the community, via its coordinated Friends Group approach, to determine the extent, if at all, to which the park incorporated the element of a community garden.

Annie and Lise asked that anyone interested in such a project to please

sign up to the friends group, stating their particular interest in this area

contact them directly for further information including proposed inspirational visits to other garden projects and feasibility planning towards group activity such as a visioning session to define the scope and design features of the garden

Draft constitution

Rob Hoon handed out copies of a draft constitution for a 'Friends of Dalmeny street Park' Group for people to consider. A response form was also provided asking for people's registrations of interest and indication of the nature of any specific interest (if any).

It was outlined that, once the Friends Group is constituted, it is proposed that a meeting of the Friends be held to help determine further development.

The meeting would include a facilitator to lead the meeting from a creative ideas session through to a realistic programme for the project’s realisation.

It is envisaged that a potential architect/landscape designer would attend this meeting who will then be able to draw up initial designs for the project. As owners of the park, The City of Edinburgh Council would be fully involved and any plans will be widely distributed to ensure local support.

Rob concluded the meeting with the undertaking to circulate the above information to the wider residential community and collate responses with a view to a further meeting to constitute the Friends Group.

FEEDBACK FORM

The enclosed Draft Constitution sets out the objectives of the Friends Group, the general and/or specific focus of its activities to support the park's 'life' and records the appointment of a group Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.

It will enable the Park to be Community-led and formally structured and organised as a body that can represent the Community in any fund-raising, training or events activities. It will be up to the group to decide and coordinate the priority of Park’s development, frequency of its meetings etc.

It is hoped that the Group will be made up of local residents and other people, businesses or parties interested in the appropriate and successful regeneration of Dalmeny Street Park.

Your views are important.

Please provide your feedback by 21 April either by mailing or handing in this form to Out of the Blue, The Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG or direct to Rob or Zoe by phone on 0131 555 7101