The Friends of Springfield Mill Park

The Friends of Springfield Mill Park was established in the beggining of 2006 with the intention of developing community involvement and accountable control over the development of the park and its facilities.   From the 14 members who attended the first meeting and decided to establish the group, we now have over 60 members who participate in the activities of the group.   Meetings, open to all members, are held quarterly and an elected committee looks at the more detailed development of projects and activities associated with the park.  

Working in Partnership

There is active liaison with the sites owner and maintainer, the Greenbelt Group, and also with the City Council, the Police and many of the agencies with whom the group works, to deal with various issues.   Between 1998 when the park was first opened and 2005, there was a significant deterioration in the condition of the park and its facilities.   The history of antisocial behaviour, inadequate maintenance and generally a lack of involvement by the community meant that by 2005 many local residents did not use the park at all.

Making a Difference

The situation has now been transformed. The Greenbelt Group are committed to an improved maintenance regime and the Friends Group have obtained grant funding to pursue improvements to the facilities. The local community now make active use of the park for general leisure activities, bring their young children to play in the play area, young people play football and sporting activities.   The woodland and pond had become significantly neglected and overused.   A programme is in place for bringing about the transformation of this area to improve the wildlife habitat and increase the amenity value of this resource.

Winning Recognition

Leeds City Council recognises people who take pride in their local area and each year present awards to community groups who they judge to be making a difference to their area. In 2006, 14,000 people were involved in the 19 projects nominated for awards. We are very pleased that our group were awarded “Community Project of the Year” in recognition of the fantastic achievements. The judges applauded our success in caring for the environment, tackling anti-social behaviour and increasing community spirit, with particular reference to the involvement of the local schools. In 2007 we  received  further recognition and  were "Highly Commended"  for  "Improving the Local Environment of Leeds".

Come and Join Us

The group is open to any residents within the surrounding area to join and take part in our activities. If you are interested, please fill in our contact form and send us your details.   Come and join us and help us make a difference.