Rowntree Park Photograph Competition 2019

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We are pleased to announce that we are holding a photography competition for images taken in the park.  There are a range of categories and ages groups that you can enter. You are welcome to submit up to 3 images in each category.

Categories:

  • People in our parks: such as people walking, jogging, cycling, picnicking, skating etc 
  • Park landscapes: for example landscape shots, animals, trees, plants, buildings in a recognisable park setting. 
  • Seasons in the park: for example Winter weather, Springtime flowers, Summer sunsets, or Autumnal colours.
  • Our Back Yard – anything that represents ‘community’ and what the park means to you.

Who can enter?

Anyone is able to enter, from beginners, enthusiasts and professionals.  However, no entries from any images that have won previous national and local competitions please.  The images can have been taken at any point over the years. Landscape and portrait accepted. Edited or unedited.

Children are welcome to enter. The age groups are below and the same subject categories apply but entries will be judged with against those of age-appropriate peers: Age 2-6, Age 7-11,  Age 12-16

Entry to the competition is free to members of the Friends of Rowntree Park and their household.  There is a £5 entry fee for non-members (which includes membership of the Friends for 1 year). If you are not already a member you can join here: http://www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Where to send images to:

Images can be taken on a camera or a phone and should be emailed to membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

Please include your name, address, email info on the category/ies you are entering and age group if relevant (with exact age for children).

Closing date: Noon 30th October 2019

 

General information

You are welcome to tag your images on social media  ‪#FRPphotocomp on social media (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) but we will need the image emailing if you plan to enter the competition.  

The winning entries will be printed and displayed in Rowntree Park Reading Cafe and overall winners for adults and also children (across the categories) will receive a voucher for the Cafe. All winners will be able to take home their photo, in its printed form, after the display is taken down.

Please note: You must own the copyright to any photo submitted and give permission for its use by the Friends of Rowntree Park including in press releases, website and for sale (to raise money for the Friends of Rowntree Park). You must get permission from any people in your photos and from the parents/carers of any under-16s who are entering the competition. 

If you have any questions about how to enter, or other things in connection with the competition, please contact Abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

 

 

 

Woods for Well Being

Adult mindfulness and crafts in nature

Escape from the stress of life and take some time to unwind and connect with nature. Join us for our first women’s natural craft and mindfulness session in the beautiful setting of Rowntree Park woods on Friday 20th September 1-2.30pm.

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Join us a learn a new skill and craft at your own pace.  This first session will include basic willow weaving to create a dragonfly.  Future session may include a mix of crafts include whittling, willow weaving, basic bushcrafts and campfire fires and needle felting amongst more.

All sessions will allow time for you to learn new crafts, connect with the natural environment and to feel more comfortable enjoying time in the woods.  Also the opportunity to meet likeminded people, or opt to spend time by yourself.

Take some breathing space, connect with nature and learn new skills, and return home feeling refreshed and replenished.

Sessions are designed for women, and those who identify as women, aged 16 upwards. We also welcome non-binary individuals who would enjoy the support of a women’s group.

Our sessions are run by our volunteer Christine, who describes herself as a ‘hobbycrafter’ and is also forest school trained.  The cost of the session a £12 for members and £15 for non-member, and includes a hot drink made outside in the woods. The session runs from 1pm-2.30pm. Any profits goes back into our volunteer work in the park. 

If you are not already a member – you can join for just £5 a year.  As as well as helping our work in the park, you also get discount to our events and 10% off in the cafe all year.

www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Can’t make a Friday? The next session will run on Saturday 19th of October 10-11.30am.

For further details and to book your place, follow the link here:

Members ticket (£12) Buy Now
Non Members Ticket (£15) Buy Now

Any questions then drop Abigail a line at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

The Friends of Rowntree Park are a group of volunteers who look after the park and provide events for the community.  We are all volunteers and care about our park and community.

The Wild Ways

The Five Ways to Wellbeing, a framework for promoting good mental health in use by organisations all over the world including the NHS and the major UK mental health charities. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a simple way of thinking about our mental health, they suggest 5 easy actions which we can all take to improve our happiness in our daily lives. We have taken the 5 ways and adapted them to an outdoor, green environment.

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Bushcraft and Forest school session 6+

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Join us for a weekend Forest school/bushcraft session aimed at children aged 6 and over.

Over the next few months, we will be running some sessions that will get the children outdoors and engaging with nature. Sessions will include a mix of:

  • Fire lighting and campfire cooking
  • Bushcrafts – using tools, knives, drills and saws to create
  • Nature based arts and crafts

All sessions include hot chocolate and marshmallows (or suitable alternatives) that the children will make on the open fire or using the Kelly Kettle.

The sessions will take a Forest School approach – Forest school is more than just sessions outdoors. It is a specialised approach that is learner-centred and aims to promote the holistic development of the child. Through hands-on practical learning, Forest school fosters resilience, confidence, self-esteem, independence and creativity and encourages- children to take risks within a supportive learning environment set within nature.

 

The sessions are run by our forest school trained volunteer Christine. All very reasonably priced for experiences that are utterly priceless! All profit goes back into our volunteer work in maintaining and improving the park too!

The sessions are aimed at children 6+ and they should be accompanied by an adult. No adult ticket is needed.  if you have younger children who would need to come along, drop us a line.  Your child is welcome to come with another adult who has other children at the event. 

The first session takes place on Saturday 14th of September 1-2.30pm and is only £6 for members and £7 for non-members.

Not a member? You can join for just £5 a year. Not only would you be helping our volunteer work in the park, but you also get a discount to all our events and 10% off in the cafe for the year. Join before booking your place – it comes straight through, so go ahead an buy a members place!

www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Places are strictly limited, so book your place using the link below:

Members ticket (£6) Buy Now
Non Members Ticket (£7) Buy Now

Tickets are non-refundable but you are welcome to sell your ticket if you get the buyer to contact us.

Any questions please drop Abigail a line at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

Information about Environment Agency plans

Many of you will be intending to go to the Environment Agency’s meeting about the Clementhorpe flood defences, on Monday 15th July 7pm at Southlands Methodist church, to find out more about the impact on the park, and on Terry Avenue and Butcher Terrace. The Environment Agency has just realised this document: 2019 FAQ Edition 1 which answers some of the questions that have been already raised.

Forest School comes to Rowntree Park

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We are excited to announce that Forest School sessions for children are coming to Rowntree Park this Autumn, starting on Friday 13th of September. Places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance.

Magical moments being nurtured in nature

It is so important for children, and adults, to spend time outdoors in nature. Forest school is more than just sessions outdoors.  It is a specialised approach that is learner centred and aims to promote the holistic development of the child.  Through hands-on practical learning, Forest school fosters resilience, confidence, self-esteem, independence and creativity and encourages children to take risks within a supportive learning environment set within nature.

Sessions will include: Den building, foraging, campfire cooking, mini-beast hunts, fire lighting, woodland crafts, storytelling and natural paint making and more – all run by  Christine, our Very Young Friends group leader, who has taken her official training to be able to offer these amazing sessions that are exceptional value for money.

Rowntree Park Forest School will be themed around a nature topic but essentially child-led so they will evolve naturally according to individual children’s interests and abilities.  There will be lots of time for free play and exploration of the individual’s interests as well as focused activities.

Time to develop, connect and grow

Forest School’s ethos recommends a range of continuous sessions rather than one-off ad hoc sessions, therefore we are offering a six-week course aimed at preschoolers (2-5 year olds).  Homeschoolers are also welcome.  The six-week block begins on Friday 13th of September and lasts session is Friday 25th of October (see note below). Each session runs from 10am-12pm.

Due to the nature of the activities, places are strictly limited and must be booked in advance. Parents stay and engage with their children and learning at the sessions – fun, relaxing, mindfulness for all!

UPDATE – this first set of sessions sold out in just a week.  Therefore if you are interested in hearing about future sessions, please email us and you will be the first to hear about any future dates.  Contact our volunteer abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk  who handles admin/bookings.

Members – £36 Non Members – £42
Forest School 6 week sessions – 13/9, 20/9, 4/10,11/10, 18/10, 25/10

(note no session on 27/9)

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Save money on the sessions AND help your local park?

You can become a member of Friends of Rowntree Park for just £5 a year per household.  For this, you get discounts at our events, monthly newsletters, 10% off in the cafe for the year whilst helping support our volunteer work in maintaining and improving Rowntree Park.  You can join here:

http://www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

If you would like further details about membership or Forest School sessions then please get in contact with Abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

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We’re a charity!

We’re pleased to announce that the Friends are now a charity, having successfully completed an application to the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Our charity will be number 1183948.

This probably won’t make much outward difference – we’ve always strived to keep our standards high! – but we will need to fill in more documentation, and make sure all the boxes that have to be ticked are indeed ticked … We may also be able to apply to different grant-giving organisations, as a charity. But we will keep in mind that we are here to ensure the well-being of the park and its users .. onwards and upwards!

The old park-keeper’s flat; holiday let or is there an alternative option?

Reprinted from Friends newsletter, in case there are subscribers who are not members of the Friends:

As you will be aware, the council approved plans to turn the old park keepers flat above the cafe to a holiday let. The original planning application was withdrawn at the start of this year from a number of reasons, but it is likely it will be submitted soon with amendments. The Friends of Rowntree Park committee would prefer the flat to be utilised in some way for the community and we are working on an alternative proposal. Your view on this issue matters to us.

We’d be grateful if you could complete this very quick survey regarding the lodge. We encourage you to share the link with others too.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RowntreeParkFlatSurvey

Important info – Closure/changes to Terry Avenue and Butcher Terrace

On a separate note, engineering work to help prevent flooding in the Clementhorpe area is likely to cause disruption to the area immediately around the park, particularly Terry Avenue and Butcher Terrace. Many local residents were unaware that the plans would require Terry Avenue (the riverside road) to change from a ‘byway to a highway’, for up to 18 months. Access to Terry Avenue would blocked at the bottom of Clementhorpe (for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians); instead, all traffic that needs access (construction vehicles, Roomzzz hotel deliveries and taxis, caravan site, park) would be routed via Butcher Terrace and the southern part of Terry Avenue.

The Environment Agency has applied for planning permission for these works, details of which you can see on the council planning portal: https://www.york.gov.uk/SearchPlanningApplications (use the code: 19/00570/FUL).
Comments about the plans were to be registered by 17th of May but we have been told that late submissions are still read and considered.
If the portal has any issues, you can use this email address: planning.comments@york.gov.uk

There is further information here: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/yorkshire/yorkfasclementhorpe/ with maps showing the areas concerned. You can contact the EA directly for further info, and you can submit comments to them, using this address: yorkfloodplan@environment-agency.gov.uk

It is also useful to share any views with your local councillors.

Wild Life Day

We care about our local wildlife and know you do too!  The park has a vibrant mix of birds, animals and insects and we love them all!  Come along to our Wild Life Day in Rowntree Park to find out more about the types of wildlife we have in the park and engage with our range of family-friendly activities.

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The event will run between 12-3pm on Sunday 9th of June and is free to attend.  We have a range of groups coming with information and activities including:

  • Owl adventures who will run some displays
  • Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
  • Butterfly conservation trust 
  • St Nicks 
  • Bumblebee conservation trust
  • The conservation volunteers [TCV]
  • RSPB
  • East Yorkshire Bat Group 
  • Askham Bryan wildlife and conservation park
  • Hedgehog group
  • King of the Birds Trail
  • More TBC

There will be a range of ‘drop-in’ children’s activities including (minimal charges may apply):

  • Wild Art
  • Bee finger puppets
  • Bee walk
  • Bird feeder making
  • More TBC

In addition, we are running Pond Dipping sessions*.  The Pond Dipping sessions need booking in advance as numbers are strictly limited for this popular event:

BUY

Members Ticket – £2 Non Members ticket – £3
12pm-12.45pm SOLD OUT SOLD OUT
1pm-1.45pm SOLD OUT BUY

*Parents/careers are expected to stay with their children at all times, but tickets are only needed for the children involved in the event.  Most suited to 2-13-year-olds (approx)

There is no physical ticket.  You have your Paypal receipt and we have a list of names.  We will email you a few days before the event with details on where and when to meet.

The main event will take place on the large field near the playparks.   This event has been organised by Friend of Rowntree Park.  We are a group of volunteers who care about the park and community.  The event is non-profit making and any money made/donated goes back into the park.  We appreciate your support and know you share our love of the park and its wildlife.

Please see our Facebook events page for updates.

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Important information

Park location – YO23 1JQ

There is a cafe on site run by York Explore (with toilets) and also a toilet block near our location.  It is advised to bring a picnic as the cafe may be very busy.  Alternatively, Bishopthorpe Rd shops are nearby for food and Cycle Heaven cafe (across the Millenium Bridge) – all within 5 mins walk.

The carpark at the park is small and there are council parking charges.  You can walk to the park from town (15 mins) or get a Bus to Bishopthorpe Rd.  You can access the park from Bishopthorpe road via Clementhorpe, Vine Street, Charlton Street, Richardson Street, Cameron Grove, and Butcher Terrace.  In addition, across the Millennium Bridge from Fulford.

If any other wildlife-related groups are interested in being involved, or you require further information – contact Ruth: ruthphillips19@hotmail.com

 

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Enchanted Woodland

Join us in the ‘Enchanted Woodland’ area of Rowntree Park.  If you listen quietly you will hear whispers…it is rumoured that elves and fairies live here!

We’d love you to join us for crafts and activities in the woods.  Make your own mystical woodland creatures and create them a home! Follow the trail and find the doors of our magical woodland folk.  Unlock your little one’s imagination with us!

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The details

Saturday 25th May – 10am or 10.30am start

The event is suitable for 2-10-year-olds: The event lasts around 1 hour and 30 mins.

£2 per child for Friends of Rowntree Park members and £3 per child for non-members.

Little ones (and big ones) are welcome to dress up!

You only need to purchase tickets for children over 2 who will be involved in the activities. No adult tickets needed (more adults the better to help the kids craft!).  If your under 2 year old wants to be involved in crafts, please buy them a ticket so we have enough resources -if they are just ‘helping’ their sibling(s) then no ticket required.

Join us in the woodland area near the Cameron Grove/Butcher Terrace entrance. Wind your way through the woodland path to the log story circle, but look out for homes of ‘little people’ on the way!

All our events are run by volunteers, any money raised covers resources for the event and then goes back into the park which is mostly maintained by volunteers. Children remain the responsibility of their parents/carers at all times.

Join the Friends of Rowntree Park and unlock your discount!

If you’d like to support our volunteers work in the park, you can join online for only £5 a year per household – you get 10% off at the cafe for the year, discount/free entry to the events we run and a warm fuzzy feeling you are supporting the park!  Buy your membership and then purchase a ‘members’ ticket for the Woodland event below.

www.rowntreepark.org.uk/membership

Any queries please contact Abigail at membership@rowntreepark.org.uk

Friends of Rowntree Park Members -£2 Non Members – £3
Enchanted Woodland event ticket – 10am start Buy Buy
Enchanted Woodland event ticket – 10.30am start Buy Buy

*If for any reason the event doesn’t go ahead, ticket prices will be refunded.  However, if you can no longer make the event, I’m afraid we cannot refund the ticket though you are welcome to sell the ticket(s) on – just let us know the name of the buyer.  

 

How to find us:

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There is a carpark at the park – Terry Avenue.  However, it is a lovely 15 min walk/scoot/bike from town along Skeldergate or catch the bus to Bishopthorpe Rd shops and walk down to the park via Clementhorpe/Vine Street/Richardson St.

Other facilities/things to do:

The park has a library cafe and is perfect for lunch and snacks, as well as reading with the children.  There are also numerous picnic benches and spots around the park. There are play parks, a skatepark, basketball courts and you can feed the ducks on the pond with duck food from the cafe.

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Becoming a charity!

Over the past 12 months, our income has increased quite substantially due to grants, increased membership and income from events we run for the community.   We are now in the happy place of having to apply to formalise our position with an application for charitable status as an Incorporated Organisation.  We would like to do this as soon as possible after the next Friends meeting.

We have used standard documentation from the Charity Commission to put together a constitution for the Friends and which we would like to discuss and approve (possibly with minor amendments) at the meeting on Thursday. You can see this document here FRP constitution 20 03 2019.

We have defined our objectives as being to:

1         promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Rowntree Park as a place of environmental interest and amenity value

2        advance the education of the public in relation to the history, biodiversity and other aspects of Rowntree Park and related Issues

3        work with others on the provision of facilities for public education, recreation and other leisure interests within Rowntree Park

4        Promote civic responsibility, volunteering, health and well-being among the users of Rowntree Park.

We do need some Friends of Rowntree Park members to help with the organisation of this, as Trustees.  5 – 7 people are needed for this, and we hope they will step forward/ be selected on Thursday. If you cannot attend the meeting but are interested in putting yourself forward as a Trustee, then please let us know.  Similarly, get in touch if you’d like to find out more on what being a Trustee involves. General information on becoming a charity trustee is here.

The Friends of Rowntree Park meeting takes place on Thurs 11th April at 7pm in Rowntree Park Reading Cafe.  All members are welcome.