Mercer Park
Hyndburn Borough Council
Mercer Park is an example of a park which had suffered at the hands of vandals in recent years and had been fairly neglected and abused. But a highly active 'Friends' Group has transformed this 4.5 hectare open space into a thriving hub of community activity.
Craig Horabin, Parks and Open Spaces Manager for Hyndburn Borough Council in Lancashire, says: “The 'Friends' Group has been highly active in organising events and pulling together funding. In just a few years they have helped reduce vandalism by 75 per cent.”
The Friends Group has worked with the local authority’s youth services unit and with the youngsters themselves in order to reduce vandalism. The surrounding area has higher than regional and national averages of young people and therefore funding was secured for a variety of facilities for teenagers including a youth shelter, skate park, multi-use games area and an adventure playground. Graffiti artists are also encouraged to decorate the walls of the youth shelter.
The group also organized a number of events including a highly respected multicultural occasion called Lark in the Park which was supported by Arts Council England and has been singled out by the Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport as a gleaming example of good practice.
A positive vibe
One of the additional benefits of The Friends Group being so active is that they often naturally have a higher awareness of what’s going on in the park than local authority wardens, reducing the need for formal inspections. Although monthly inspections do take place, these are subtle and not over imposing.
Mercer Park has had its share of social issues in the past but the Friends Group now works hard to ensure that nothing dampens the good vibe. Friends Group member Yvonne Wilson says: “The park has gone from a no-go area to one of Green Flag status. We have raised funds for re-doing paths and play areas and hope to build a sensory garden for people with disabilities to enjoy the park more.”
Mercer House and grounds were originally left for use as a public museum and park under the terms of a charitable trust established during the First World War. The site was officially opened in 1916, with the house being used as a museum of minerals, fossils, perfumes and dyes.
The park opened in the same year and retains much of the same layout today. The grounds, with a bowling green, tennis courts and war memorial, are dotted with annual bedding and mature woodland. These overlook shrubs, borders and a series of walks. The recent addition of more modern play areas doesn’t detract from this impressive landscape.
Park staff have worked hard to involve the community in activities and decisions – working with adults with learning difficulties to transform an old rose bed, and removing old fencing and felling lime trees to make the park seem less oppressive or threatening. Staff have also worked with the local Primary Care Trust, and many people now use the park to walk or cycle under fitness and exercise prescriptions from doctors.