New volunteer group launching to promote Cleaswell Hill Park in Choppington

A meeting will be held at 6pm at Stakeford and Bomarsund Welfare on Monday, February 5, to inaugurate the Friends of Cleaswell Park, and is open to any local residents that are interested in getting involved.

It is hoped that the group, once formed, will go on to organise dog walking meetups, group picnics, activities for local residents, and to generally encourage use of the park.

Angela Brindley, clerk of Choppington Parish Council, said: “We are looking for organisers, really. People who are good at organising or generating ideas to just get involved as a volunteer.

“If they were interested they could do a little bit of litter picking or looking after the grounds but really we are more interested in people just generating activity there.”

The council is also hoping the group will create a feeling of collective ownership of the park, reducing the likelihood of vandalism and strengthening community spirit in the area.

Once the group is up and running, it will be up to members to decide what its role will be and what it will get involved in.

Angela said: “I am really excited about the community activity down there if we can just start it off.

“When we were doing engagement and asking people what they wanted to see in the park we got a lot of people who are interested in it, so we are hopeful that these people will come forward.

“We are hopeful that the community is out there and wanting to get involved.”

Cleaswell Hill Park is benefiting from substantial investments in improvement works, with £40,000 of funding from the parish council and £200,000 from a Northumberland County Council fund commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

One suggestion for the role of the friends group is that it could seek out additional grant funding to further improve the green space.

Angela added: “We are looking for people who are good at organising or generating ideas and want to get involved in their local park, to get involved as a volunteer in some community activities.”