News

Current and previous items of news from the Friends of Chat Parks.

Busy week ahead in the Park

(Chairman Ian Deighton, Ella Dixon, Treasurer Brian Else and Deputy Chairman Chris Welch)

A busy AGM was attended by nearly 40 members last night at the Holmfield. The first part of the meeting was an excellent talk by Ella Dixon from Open Country, a Harrogate-based charity with almost 30 years of experience in enabling anyone with any disability to access the countryside. Their newestproject aims to help people with disabilities in Wakefield access the countryside. Working from Thornes Park, just south of the centre, we are now running evening tandem rides, a weekday walking group, regular nature conservation projects, producing countryside access information. Following the talk chairman Ian Deighton gave a summary of last year and thanked the hard work and enthusiasm of all the Friends working in the Park. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Friends and to celebrate there will be a full week of activities in the Park from July 20th to the 28th.

Don’t forget that on Sunday – 24th March – it’s the annual Wakefield Hospice 10k Road Race and Mini Run, between 9am and 1pm. This is a large event that will attract a large entry so please be aware of this if you plan to come to the park and allow extra time for your visit. The junior parkrun scheduled for the 24th will not take place due to the Hospice event. The links below will take you to the websites and you can also check on Facebook.
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/wakefieldthornes-juniors/

https://www.wakefieldhospice.org/Events/Wakefield-10k-(1)

Classic Vehicle Show comes to Thornes Park

Thornes Park was filled with classic vehicles on Friday when the Fleur de Lys Classic Vehicle Show came to town. From 4pm to 9pm the playing fields by the children’s play area side of the park was filled with vintage vehicles – cars, buses, vans, tractors, etc. The Friends of CHaT Parks assisted at the event and had a Friend’s stall selling plants. The prizes for each category were awarded by MP Mary Creagh and the Best of Show went to Jeff Bailey with his Morgan Plus 4. Classic Vehicle

Fun in Thornes Park

Thornes Park sees plenty of fun and events this weekend. On Saturday The Penny Appeal are hosting the Eid Extravaganza from 12-6pm on the playing fields by the children’s playground. Entry by the Horbury Road.
https://www.facebook.com/events/233349424106728

Then on Sunday the RSPCA Leeds and Wakefield branch are holding a Paws ‘4’ a Walk around the Park. Meeting from 9.30am for a 10am start. On Sunday morning the RSPCA Leeds and Wakefield branch are organising a dog walk in the Park. Meeting from 9.30am for a 10am start. Please park in the college car park. To get to this car park, please use the athletic stadium/college entrance on the Horbury Road. There will be signs directing you to the car park once you go through the entrance.
https://www.facebook.com/events/410149432731848

The pay and play activities will be open at the weekend and of course the whole of the Park is blooming in the lovely weather. Come along and enjoy everything the Park has to offer!

Race for Life comes to Thornes Park

Thornes Park sees the Race for Life events in aid of Cancer Research UK, coming to Thornes Park this weekend. The Pretty Muddy Kids and Pretty Muddy 5k will be taking place on Saturday 16th June. Pretty Muddy Kids starts at 9.45am and 10am. Then the Pretty Muddy 5k will start from 10.30am. Both events will start by the side of the athletic stadium in Thornes Park, on the Horbury road. Please note that the Park Run is cancelled for this date.
On Sunday 17th June, the Race for Life 5k and 10k events are taking place in Thornes Park. The event starts at 11.00am from by the athletic stadium in Thornes Park. Please note that the junior park run is cancelled for this date.

Busy day in the Park

The Bandstand — The Clarence Park Bandstand

What a busy day Sunday will be! The Park will host the junior park run at 9am starting from near the athletic stadium. At 11am the French Bulldog group will be enjoying a walk through the Park starting at the athletic stadium. Meanwhile in the Clarence Park arena the Friends of CHaT Parks will be holding their 2nd car boot sale of the year, from 8am to 12 noon. Then in the afternoon the Wakefield Music Collective are hosting the Teddy Bear’s Picnic at the Clarence Park Bandstand from 2-4pm. This is a lovely family event with music and stalls. If this isn’t enough, you can walk round the Park or try your hand at the pay and play activities. Something for everyone!

Friends of CHaT Parks meeting

The next meeting of the Friends of CHaT Parks is on Tuesday 5th June at the Holmfield at 7pm. Our speaker will be Dr Phil Judkins, Secretary of the Wakefield Historical Society. His talk will be “More Deadly than the Male”, stories about the many roles undertaken by women in the two World Wars, some better known, some very unexpected and some almost unbelievable, except that they actually happened.

Everyone is welcome – members and non-members and you can join at the meeting. See you there!

Have fun and feel good with the Thornes Park games!

The wonderful weather over the Bank Holiday helped the games in Thornes Park to a flying start for the summer season. Thanks to the hard-working volunteers from the Friends of CHaT Parks, the games will be open from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm every weekend and bank holidays. The tennis courts and pitch and putt course were busy and the putting green had lots of families trying out their putting skills and having fun in the sun. These facilities are there for everyone to enjoy at very little cost: tennis £4 per court for adults and £2 per court for only juniors, pitch and put golf £3.50 for adults and £2 for juniors, (bring your own clubs or all you need is on offer from the Ticket Office for a small deposit) and the putting greens, including putter and ball, cost £1.50 adults, £1 juniors. If you wish to feel good and have some fun in the open air why not get down to Thornes Park and have a go.

May Day weekend in the Park

The May Day Bank holiday weekend will be seeing plenty of activity in Wakefield Park. With the blossoms out on the trees, walking through the park is a pleasure and there is always plenty to see. There will be the usual weekly Park Run on Saturday morning from 9am meeting near the old changing rooms on the drive in Thornes Park. Sunday 6th will also see the Junior Park Run being held in Thornes Park at 9am. From Sunday 6th May to Monday 7th May the 5th anniversary of the Yorkshire Brick Show will be held at the Thornes Stadium from 10am to 4pm, celebrating one of the largest exhibition of LEGO models in the country. Then on the May Day (Monday 7th May) there will be a May Day Gala in the Clarence Park Arena from 10am to 5pm. Whatever the weather brings this coming weekend there will be plenty of enjoyment for all the family in the Park.

Fleur-de-Lys Classic Vehicle Show

The Friends of CHaT Parks will be working with the Fleur de Lys Classic Vehicle Society to present the annual Classic Vehicle Show in Thornes Park on Friday 6th July from 4pm to 9pm. Admission for spectators is free. More details about how to enter vehicles in the show will be available shortly from the society
https://fleurdelyscvs.org/

BUSY SUNDAY IN THE PARK

Sunday (22nd April) is a busy day in the Park. From 8am til 12noon the Friends of CHaT Parks are holding their first car boot sale. Entry is on the Denby Dale Road, by the horse trough, and stewards will be there to guide you to parking spaces. Then at 2pm Wakefield Music Collective present the first Brass on Sunday concert at the Bandstand. Playing will be the wonderful Phoenix Brass Band. Please come along and support both these events!

Volunteers in the Park

It was lovely to see volunteers with Open TV Country who were working busily litter-picking around the park. Pictured here are members of the Friends of CHaT Parks with Ella and Catherine from Open Country:

http://www.opencountry.org.uk/wakefield-project/

Ticket Office Manager Position Details

TICKET OFFICE MANAGER

Download Job Ad

Download Job details

Person

Must be aged at least 18

Must be capable of interacting with public (customers)

Must be capable of working alone

Position

The post carries a wage equal to the National Living Wage for a 35 hour week.

Required to work 10.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday

Duties

Administration of ticket office for Pay-and-Play games in Thornes Park, including hire of equipment, booking of courts and keeping records of hire.

Keeping proper financial records of payments, deposits and return of deposits

Opening and closing ticket office including security measures

Taking out flags and markers for pitch and putt course and for putting green at start of day and collecting in at end of day

Raking bunkers and trimming edges

Litter collection

Office cleaning including toilets

Checking that correct courts are used for tennis and ensuring proper payment is made.

Taking and returning deposits as appropriate

Complying with health and safety requirements and ensuring that required notices, signage etc is all in place. Checking fencing etc is all secure

Promotion of the Friends Group

The Flower Garden is blooming!

The Flower Garden is blooming!

The formal flower beds in Thornes Park have now been planted out with summer bedding. The layout was designed by Stephen Brear, the Council’s horticulture training officer. The Friends Group, using money raised from Car Boot Sales etc, bought about 20,000 plug plants. The plugs were “potted on” by trainees from the Council’s Day Care Opportunities service and looked after in the greenhouses by the trainees together with volunteers from the Friends Group.

Last week the Council staff planted the flowers out, with help from all those who had been looking after them for the last two months.

All we need now is the right amount of rain and sunshine to produce the stunning display of colour that we have had in previous years.

Many thanks for these lovely photos provided by Chris Welch, Friends of CHaT Parks, and Tom McCullen, one of the hard working planters. It is thanks to everyone involved that our Park continues to give us all such pleasure in the summer months with these wonderful displays.

Help us to bring back Thornes Park bonfire and firework display

Help us to bring back the Bonfire and Fireworks at Thornes Park

The Friends of CHaT Parks, backed by the Wakefield Express, are launching a fundraising drive to bring back the community bonfire and fireworks display at Thornes Park this year. Supported by Melvyn Eddy Funfairs, the group needs to raise funds by the end of this month (May) in order to purchase fireworks in time for November. Already Wakefield-based estate agent Richard Kendall has pledged £1000 to help and the organisers of the annual South Elmsall, South Kirkby and Upton bonfire display have offered their expertise and equipment. Any donation – large or small – can help us to bring back a much-loved event in the Wakefield calendar that has been a fixture for many years. To help us in this appeal, please contact Ian Deighton on 01924 314222 or email info@chatparks.org.uk

Lowe Hill Project Updates

We’re appealing for volunteers to help us with the Lowe Hill project. As you may know the Friends have been working with Wakefield Council and the archaeological experts to ensure that the Forgotten Castle on Lowe Hill becomes a key feature in the future of the Park. This requires co-ordination with WMDC Streetscene ,and the provision of volunteers who understand the principles of archaeology,who can, initially,undertake some ground clearance work.(Training will be given). Please email info@chatparks.org.uk or message on Facebook for more information. If you are interested in the first stage of this project, why not watch the excellent film produced by One to One Development Trust on the Friends of CHaT Parks website: