A lot has happened in the planning of new facilities for Stow Park since the last newsletter. Our feeling that we should create a community park that is an attractive and safe place for everyone to enjoy has strengthened. Our committee has been working hard and achieved several outcomes, the main one being the agreement from Scottish Borders Council (SBC) to provide the land, grass cutting and safety checks. In return they require the community to raise funds for the initial installation and also for the upkeep of the equipment for a period of 10 years.
We have started investigating te kind of costs involved and we have initial quotes. Needless to say that play equipment and outdoor fitness equipment that carries all the correct health and safety documentation for a public space comes with a hefty price tag. The initial estimate is approximately £150,000 which includes pathways for disabled access.
To give you an idea of the plans, the committee, together with Stow Primary School pupils are making a scale model of the park with the proposed location of the new equipment. This will be on display at the ‘Lives on the Line’ exhibition on 12 – 13 June and at Sports Day on Sat 20th June. Please come and have a look and tell us what you think..
Our next steps are to rally support from everyone with an interest in the Heart of Stow to demonstrate that the community is really serious about the development of the park as a place for people and not just rabbits. We are focusing on two main acitvities:
1. Fundraising. We really need people to come forward to help bring some of our fundraising ideas to fruition, the bigger the team of people the faster we will be able to have new facilities in the park.
2. Communication. We have set up a Facebook page: Stow Community Park, where we will post progress of the park project so please like/follow/comment. You can also get in touch by writing to stowcommunitypark@gmail.com or hand a note into the Post Office. Tell us what you think of the park currently? What would new equipment and facilities mean to you? Let us all work together to make Stow Park – Fit for the Future.
Chair: Helen Houston
