Park is awarded a Green Flag honour

The award scheme recognises the best green spaces in the country with the honour presented after judges visited and rated its signage, conservation, planting, toilets, activities and pathways.

The outdoor gym, increased visitor numbers and the park ranger service also impressed judges, who also awarded the flag to Silver Jubilee Park in Coseley and The Leasowes in Halesowen. Councillor Tracy Wood, cabinet member for environment and culture said: "Dudley Council takes grate pride in offering fantastic green spaces and we know that our residents value them highly.

"Achieving Green Flag status reflects the fantastic work that our park rangers, countryside wardens, friends groups, volunteers and residents have put into making our green spaces shine and I'm grateful to everyone who has played a part in it."

Police investigate mystery images found in park

Thousands Flock to Fun Day

Organisers of the annual Netherton Park Fun Day said more than 3000 people had enjoyed Saturday's event.

Visitors watched performances by the Pedmore Panthers cheerleading squad and looked around a display of army vehicles and kit provided by Dudley's Territorial Army.

Members of the Black Country Classic Car Club were also on hand to exhibit vehicles and answer questions. There was also a performance of Morris dancing.

West Midlands Police manned a stall to provide residents with crime-prevention advice.

The event is held every year by the Friends of Netherton Park to raise awareness of the site. Organiser Richard Johnson said: "Some people say they were not aware the park was here. This is why we hold events like the fun day to ensure people do know about it, and make use of it."

"This year's event has been an enormous success and we have had thousands of people through the gates."

The chairman of a park friends group has spoken of his heartbreak after vandals ripped up sapling trees just an hour after they were planted.

 

Members of The Friends of Netherton Park spent a couple of hours planting 50 sapling trees on March 19 across the park.

 

The trees, all native English saplings had been donated by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers to benefit the park.

 

But just over an hour after the planters had finished, vandals had already started ripping them from the roots.

 

Group chairman Geoff Johnson, said: "We had split up to plant the saplings at different areas of the park. When I finished I had one extra plastic tag, which we using to tie them to the plastic case to support them.

 

"They had one short from the other group, so after a coffee break at the activity centre we took it over about an hour later only to find some of the saplings already ripped out of the ground."

 

A week later Geoff did a count of the saplings to find that out of the 50 planted, only two remained. The other 48 have completely disappeared.

 

Geoff, said: "It is heartbreaking. Our aim is to make the park nice for the community. It is not just for our benefit.

"We usually find it is the daffodils that go at this time of year, but they seem okay, instead they have turned their attention to the saplings.

 

"I'm guessing these hooligans require oxygen to breathe, so they will need trees in the future."

 

Despite the setback, the group have vowed to continue and have already secured a further 200 tree donations, but will wait until the trees are stronger before they attempt to plant them.

 

Geoff added: "We have been allowed access to the allotments near to the park, so we are going to plant them there first and let them get a bit bigger before we put them in the park. But we are not going to give up in making the park a better place."

Netherton Fun Day Nets Police Grant

Friends of Netherton Park have snapped up a £3,000 gift from Dudley police to boost their annual fun day.

The cash will go towards booking attractions for the event, which will be held on Saturday July.10.

Netherton neighbourhood policing team applied for the funding from the Police Property Act Fund, generated from the sale of stolen property which has been recovered but the owners of which cannot be traced and used to support voluntary and community groups.

Fun day organisers have planned for archery, mini quad bikes and a bouncy castle along with more than 50 stalls and displays. A live stage will showcase local bands and dance troupes.

Friends secretary Richard Johnson said: “We are very grateful to the police for the funding. The annual fun day is a great event for the local community, getting everyone involved and raising money for charity.

“It is also a wonderful opportunity for local talent to perform in front of a large audience.”

The Friends of Netherton Park raise funds to maintain and raise the profile of the park, helping to encourage the public to make more use of it.

Police Community Support Officer Simon Verity added: “We are very pleased to support the Friends of Netherton Park. The more the park is used, the less crime we see.”

The Friends of Netherton Park are also asking for more stallholders to contribute to the fun day. Anyone interested should email friends@nethertonpark.com

Outdoor Gym Unveiled in Netherton Park

AN outdoor gym has been installed in Netherton Park in the latest of a series of keep-fit playgrounds for children and adults around the borough.

The development - with equipment including a treadmill, fitness bikes and cross trainers - is part of Dudley’s £4.5million healthy towns project designed to tackle childhood obesity.

Residents are invited to attend a free demonstration on how to use the gym equipment on Monday April 12 from 10am until 11am, on Thursday April 22 from 1.30pm until 2.30pm and on Wednesday April 28 from 5.30pm until 6.30pm.

Free sessions on the gym at the Dell Stadium, Pensnett, are also being held on Friday April 16 from 10am until 11am, on Tuesday April 20 from 1.30pm until 2.30pm and on Wednesday April 21 from 5.30pm until 6.30pm.

John Millar director of the urban environment said people were already using the gym equipment across the borough, but the sessions were being provided for anyone who wanted extra guidance.

“The new equipment is very easy to use and is suitable for people of all ages and abilities,” he added.

The outdoor gyms will form part of special family healthy hubs which are being developed at the sites to encourage families to take on more exercise and make the most of the borough’s outdoor spaces.

Healthy hub buildings will be developed over the summer and park rangers, who will organise and lead a number of family sessions in the parks are currently being recruited.

The Friends of Netherton Park purchased a Horse Chestnut tree in memory of 75-year-old group member Ken Pritchard, who died earlier this year.

Throughout his life, Ken's aim was to get conker trees planted in Netherton, so children from the area would have somewhere to go to collect conkers and play the old fashioned sport.

Unfortunately, Ken who also worked tirelessly for Ebenezer Baptist Church and the youth groups in the area, did not fulfil his ambition in his lifetime but as a tribute to him, the Friends planted a memorial tree at a special ceremony in Netherton Park.

Geoff Johnson, acting chairman of Friends of Netherton Park, said: "The event went extremely well. Around 30 people joined us to remember Ken and the Children's Centre provided hot drinks and cakes.

"We have also paid for a special plaque which has been planted at the base of the tree and we have attached a laminated sheet which tells visitors about Ken's ambition and the background to the tree."

LIVING IN FEAR -

Picture: Ivor Lucas at Netherton Park - repeatedly targeted by vandals.