Welcome!

We are Arno's Park Action Group, a group of locals who love the park, and are constantly trying to improve it. We really want to see as many people as possible spending time in this wonderful open space. We are planning events throughout the year and would love to hear from anybody who would like to join in, or who has an idea for an event.

To find out more about APAG, please do have a look around the site, and come back soon to find out what's happening.

We now have a facebook page - please pop over to APAG and say hello!

We look forward to seeing you at Arno's Court Park very soon.


Next meetings:
Wed 15th May

If you are interested in coming and aren't already on the mailing list of supporters, please email me for location or to request your addition to the mailing list.



Latest:

Arnos Vale Community Run Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2013
Congratulations to everyone who took part!







See HERE (item 10, page 37) for news about the BMX track.




Dog Show 2012

The Dog Show was a great success! See here for report, photographs and list of winners.


Environmental Volunteers at the Community Garden, 22.08.12

With our deepest thanks to Rowan and the Brislington Brook Project for the loan of tools, to Julian Thomas of the Parks' Dept for transport, and most of all to the environmental volunteers - Abby, Alex, Fran, Heather, Jo, Lindsey, Matt, Sarah, Simon and Susan - who have cleared the area completely and barrowed down load after load of leaf mould for mulch.






The Community Garden is now ready for planning and planting!






Local Hero!

When a black and white kitten got stuck up one of the tall pines at the Bath Rd entrance to the park, it posed quite a problem. The little creature had been there for at least three nights, despite attempts to coax it down, and when the RSPCA got our wonderful fire service to attend - yes, a real case of the firemen trying to rescue a cat from a tree! - they couldn't get their ladders close enough.

Then Sam McCarthy saw everyone standing looking up and went over to find out why. On hearing about the kitten he went home, collected his climbing gear, and promptly shinned up the fir to the rescue.

The kitten was so pleased to see him it went straight to him without any difficulty, and seems to be none the worse for its ordeal. Temporarily nicknamed Dave and currently being looked after by an APAG member, it has not been chipped and despite appeals to the PDSA, RDPCA and the Cats' Protection League no owner has yet been found. If you are the kitten's owner or think you may know who is, please contact the webmaster.

And our heartfelt thanks and kudos go out to Sam - local hero and true example of community spirit!












Arnos Court Park boundary wall report is now available as a free download from the BCAP website: see here.

A brief report on the week of geophys at the Park can be found here.





Community Garden hedge

Many thanks to the girls who planted the lavender and rosemary bushes to make our Community Garden hedge! They all worked really hard.


Looking good...

APAG would like to thank Groundworks for supplying the bushes. Herbs and vegetable plants from Blaise Estate Nurseries.


Sunday the 17th June 2012 our Community Payback Team stripped most of the turf from the area that will become the Community Garden!

The area is a fair size, and the ground was absolutely full of rubble - bricks, stones and a few archaeological finds which will be examined in due course. It was extremely hard work and they've done wonders.

There's only a small area left to clear, so if anyone feels like volunteering to help us finish the job, please email the webmaster.

Many thanks to the team - we really appreciate all your work.




On Saturday 12th May 2012 the Community Payback Team installed a further 6 benches into the park. They worked very hard all day, digging holes, measuring and 'testing' the benches. The money for the benches came from the last dog show and now provides seating all around the park, in areas for shade, to get out of the rain and to watch the world go by!

This year will see another dog show and all money raised will be used towards the installation of picnic benches. The picnic area will be on the Bath Road side and is an attempt to give people wanting to avoid dogs the chance to eat their picnic off the ground! It is always a difficult task to keep dogs out of the picnics and this is the dog owners way of helping people to picnic in peace.

A big thanks to all those who came to the last dog show as all the benches around the park have been funded from this money and let us look forward to another great event on 8th September 2012 this year. Also thanks to the Payback Team for their hard work on the installation of all the benches.

New photographs of the 2011 Easter Egg Hunt here.

Park Benches

A big Thank You! to the volunteers and the Community Payback Scheme crew who installed the park benches over the 21st - 22md May. The crew were great, everyone worked very hard, and the benches are fantastic! See here. The benches were paid for with funds raised from the Dog Show 2010.


Big Tree Plant – A city-wide bid for more trees in Bristol

In December 2010 the Government launched a National Tree Planting Campaign the ‘Big Tree Plant’, which aims to plant a million trees over 4 years. The campaign is focused on community based tree planting in streets, school grounds and other publicly accessible green spaces.

The Forest of Avon Trust is working in partnership with TreeBristol (Bristol City Council), the Woodland Trust and Trees for Cities, to prepare a grant bid as part of the Big Tree Plant to increase tree planting across the city. The focus is on areas of lower tree cover and higher deprivation but all areas can be included. The bid is due to be submitted in August so we are on a tight timescale.

We are working with community groups and interested individuals throughout Bristol so get in touch if you want to work with us to increase tree planting in your area - on streets, green spaces or anywhere in your neighbourhood where the public will benefit.
We also require match funding so any suggestions would be welcomed.

For more information please contact Emma Whitaker, Big Tree Plant Bid Co-ordinator at the Forest of Avon Trust on 0117 963 3383 or email Emma.

Tree planting provides many benefits including:


Forest of Avon Trust
The local charity for trees, working closely with communities to get more trees planted and to improve existing woodlands.
More Trees More Action

TreeBristol
Part of Bristol City Council, TreeBristol was established to plant thousands of new trees in the city.
TreeBristol

The Woodland Trust
National charity promoting woodlands and native trees.
Woodland Trust

Trees for Cities
National charity working with local communities on tree planting projects in urban areas
Trees for Cities