Our 2018 roundup, with special thanks to our volunteers, the support from City and County of Swansea Parks Department and Keep Wales Tidy organisation.

This year we have achieved:-

Installation of 2 picnic benches/tables and an interpretation Map panels installed this year through the Tesco Grant.

We planted 118 Lavender Plants to form a small hedge of Lavender as the years go on thanks to the Dwr Cymru grant.

We have added to the hedgeing plants that were planted by the Scouts at Coedbach Road entrance and have started to plant shrubs and bushes on the bank opposite the lower football field, this is ongoing.

We've also planted up 6 flower boxes with winter Violas with help from the Shine Cymru organisation volunteers and intend to plant up the other 3 boxes.

We have supported the Sustrans's initiative to get a cycle path to connect Pontarddulais to Grovesend cycle path.

We currently have exhibition in Library, thanks to Gaynor, for people who want to put messages on the tags that go on the "Friendship Tree" in the Park. Date tbc but usually week before Christmas for decoration of tree.

We have tried to clear some of the bulrushes from the Pond, thanks to Clive, Windsor and Vyv.

The Our Place Team have continued to top up the wood chip paths and regularly do litter picks in the park and we are grateful for this ongoing support.

We had the baccaularete pupils from the Dylan Thomas school maintaining the bmx track by topping it up with stone duff and chippings that we bought and they also painted the football container.

We were again awarded the Green Flag Community Parks award.

We couldn't do this without the support of the community. So please do visit the park, enjoy the facilities and if you see us working do say hello! We're always looking for new volunteers/projects/funding. Thank you.

 Facebook.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/550777668395584/

 Twitter:- https://twitter.com/FOCBP

FOCBP Facebook Page.

A short while ago members of the Our Place team met with Friends members to plant some lavender near the football field towards the Coed Bach road entrance, one of our members spotted a bee flying around the plants and stopped to take this image.

Below is the Map we have had done thanks to the grant from the Tesco Bags of Help Scheme.  We are hoping to get these installed by end of July one at each entrance.

UPDATE

The signs have now been put in place at the Coed Bach entrance, and next to the QE2 plaque at the Gwynfryn Rd entrance.

As usual you can follow our Facebook page at:-

https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/550777668395584/

And our Twitter Feed at:- https://twitter.com/FOCBP

FOCBP Facebook Page

Lavender planting.

Thanks to  the Our Place Team for the added help and to our members in picture Maureen,  Margaret, Lucia, Tom and Claire for getting the lavender hedges planted. And also to Dwr Cymru for making it possible to buy the lavenders to help our pollinators and improve the biodiversity of the park. 

Also we give thanks to the NEET Team for the planters and to the Glynhir WI for donation out of which we bought the Tulip bulbs which are flowering now alongside some fungi, well after all it is a natural park.

As usual you can follow our Facebook page at:-

https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/550777668395584/

And our Twitter Feed at:- https://twitter.com/FOCBP

FOCBP Facebook Page

May Update

This month we have decided to do something completely different to quote Monty Python.

I have had a go at producing a video blog and if it proves successful then we will produce more in the future.

You can view it on Youtube and the link is below, as usual we are on Facebook and Twitter so if you want to comment on your time in the park or share ideas with us you can also email us (Link at the top of the blog.)

The Video Blog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqehIgbJ0jc

And as usual our monthly meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month at Pontarddulais Cricket Club.

March Update

March has been a very quiet month activity wise for us in the park. 
Our Volunteers have been out and about where possible sorting out some of the pathways throughout the woodland areas which were made boggy in the rain we have had since the end of last year. Also service users and the Neat team are still present in the park helping us out on a few minor jobs around the place.
And of course we have people working behind the scenes on Volunteer training programmes and looking for funding. So while it appears nothing is being done in the park itself rest assured we never stop.



Cats Update.

Around Christmas time the community was shocked to hear the news that a box of shaved cats had been dumped by the tennis courts and left to die.
The great news is that the pregnant cat gave birth to a healthy litter of kittens and all the cats have now been re-homed.
We thank Haven vets in Llanelli for keeping us up to date with their progress.

Scouts.

The Pontarddulais scouts (4th Lliw Valley) also came over the park for a twilight survey to see how much wildlife there was in the park and by the sounds of it there was plenty of bugs and other creatures to spot during the survey. (Photos Rebecca Routelidge)

Easter Egg Hunt.

One of the service user providers based at the Canolfan Y Bont 'Our Place' held an Easter Egg hunt in the woodlands they have been working in.
I don't know who had more fun, us hiding the eggs or the team racing to find them.
The team visit the park a few times a week so if you see them please say "Hello" as you walk past.

Look for the Super Hero.

One of our members found a Black and Gold Spiderman in the park and has been relocating him in various places around the park.
If you have any young kids you can play a game of 'Spot Spidey' as we will move him around the park and give you clues as where to find him on our Facebook Page.
(Also note he is only a little fella otherwise it would be way too easy to spot him :-)

Competition.

Our photo competition is still running so please feel free to submit any images you have taken of Coed Bach Park.

Wildlife.

Wildlife continues to flourish throughout the park.

(Images by Joanne Puddefoot and Brian Lloyd)

Other News.

Sadly someone has vandalised the Mushroom display by the Boardwalk and stolen one.

This display was built by the Neat team that helped build the walkway. If you know where it is please let us know. (You can contact us through our FB page or the email at the top of this blog.)

Also we have noticed an increase in people not picking up dog poo around the second woods area.

Volunteers are running out of their own bags as they have so much mess to pick up caused by irresponsible dog walkers who either do not care or think that the woodland areas are exempt from dog fouling laws.

The whole park is not only a public park which anyone can use but also it falls under dog fouling laws that can lead up to a £1000 fine if you are caught not picking up.

Our Twitter page (https://twitter.com/FOCBP) is running a 'Thank you' campaign against dog fouling.

We also ask that if you see anything or you have an unpleasant situation in the park to contact the Police on 101 for non emergency situations and 999 if you are being threatened or if something is being damaged.

Unfortunately things do happen from time to time and the FOCBP are only volunteers who's job it is to see to the park and keep an eye on the place.

We do not create the park rules nor do we run it so we cannot be held responsible if an incident occurs and it goes unreported by the victim. If you wish to contact us use the email at the top of this blog and we will assist you as best we can.
Also moaning about things on Social media helps no one. And if we all work together we can make the park a better place for everybody so please do your part.

As usual our Monthly meetings are held on the last Wednesday of everymonth over the Pontarddulais Cricket Club at 7.30pm please feel free to visit for a chat.

March Review

March has been a busy month for us at FOCBP. We started the month with the launch of our Facebook and Twitter sites. (The links can be found above this post just click on the tabs.)
Plenty of people have joined these pages and we have also had a few contributions from others as well which has been great.

The biggest job we have had done in the park this month was a bit of reshaping of the seasonal pond.
When we cleared the area in November 2013 we were unaware that there was an old pipe which was not marked on any maps running into the pond. And over the months water was slowly draining out of the pond and some flooding was occuring up to the pathway.
A Dam has now been added and the water is now holding in the pond quite nicely.
Also a smaller dam was added on the furthest side of the pond due to water flowing into the area being slightly polluted. This Dam is a simple set of haybales which helps act as a natural filter for any impurities trying to enter the main body of water.

Reshaping

Filter Dam

Finished Dam

Volunteers have also been busy over the park in the last month.

A course on pruning fruit trees took place at the start of the month and Jeff Richards supervisor of Swansea Botanical Gardens ran an afternoon session on how to prune the trees. This was a well attended activity and great fun was had by one and all.

Gaynor and Christine attended a Friends members forum in Swansea this was a chance for all park groups to meet up and share ideas and report back to Swansea City Council on how things were progressing in their own parks.

Our volunteers have been hard at it in the park with clearance work and meeting Council representatives with sorting out problems and finding ways forward to fix them.

Drainage is constantly looked at

And also our resident artist Gaynor Fuge has been busy making keyring fobs which are on sale at Craftiau y Bont on St Teilo Street.
Monies raised from these go towards FOCBP tools and equiptment.

The Wildlife is now beginning to come alive once again in the park.
The trees are full of birds and flowers (Especially the Bluebells) are beginning to flower.

1st sign of the bluebells

Members of the public continue to use the park and quite a few people have remarked how nice the place is looking.
Thank You for all your kind comments as it makes it all worth while :-)

Your dog will always find something to roll in :-)

We were handed an old image of Christie O' Neill who was a park keeper many moons ago.

Thank you to everyone that has contributed to our Social Media pages over the last few weeks and we hope to see you enjoying yourselves in the park soon.


We will be holding our AGM on April 29th at Pontarddulais Cricket Club.

January 15

So another year down and a new one has just began (Well it did a few weeks ago anyway!)

Our friendship tree in the second woods became an attraction over the festive period with plenty of people coming along and having a look. And some people came along after and added their own messages which was great to see.
The tags are going on show in the Canolfan y bont from Tuesday 20th January and will remain there until the end of February, if you would like yours returned please pop in to reclaim it.

And we also have a few new members join us over the last few weeks and they will be helping us out in the park. So welcome guys :-)

Our first meeting of the new year will be at the usual location of the Cricket Club in Pontarddulais on Wednesday 28th January at 7.30pm.

Also over the last few weeks there has been some work done on constructing a new half pipe for skaters and this is progressing well. The pipe is located in the middle of the BMX track by the Rugby club car park.
As usual it is a huge 'THANK YOU!!!' to everybody that has made this possible.

Construction under way on the Half pipe.

Monthly Meeting

Our monthly meeting is at the Pontarddulais Cricket Club on Wednesday 24/9/14 at 7.30pm.

The Fungi Foray will take place on Sunday 19th October at the time of 10.30am-12.30.

And Joy Walker is holding her annual Macmillan Coffee morning this Friday 26th September at her home between 11am and 3pm.

.............................Macmillan Coffee Morning........................................

Joy Walker would like to thank all who supported her Macmillan Coffee Morning we raised a fantastic £600.

Well done Joy from all of us at the FOTP.

News

Monthly meeting on Wednesday 27th August at Pontarddulais Cricket Club as usual everybody is welcome.

You may have noticed that over the last week a plot of waste ground near the rugby club has been cleared to allow people extra space for their cars during times of busy park use.
A big thank you to all concerned with clearing this space.

And we are now an official Fields in trust site. You can find out more by clicking the link below.

http://www.fieldsintrust.org/

2014 Carnival

Saturday 28th June saw FOTP and Pontarddulais Partnership join forces and have our first Carnival float.
Lot's of people to thank.......and you all know who you all are we hope you had a great time.
And a very big Thank You to Gareth from N. Thomas and sons contractor Haulage for their time and use of the Lorry.

This years theme 'A Walk In The Park'

'Thank You' Gareth.