Getting involved

Regular park users know their park inside out, they are in touch with its rhythms and fully understand how it functions. They have opinions about what works well and what could be done better, and frequently put forward suggestions to the Council on how it might be improved.

Vital Link
Many channel their views through one of the Friends Groups now established throughout the District. Friends Groups are a vital link with the Council and the community and they make an invaluable contribution to development plans.

Raising Funds
Financial resources for parks, especially in rural areas, are limited – at present there is no statutory duty for Councils to provide a parks service in spite of their obvious benefits to the community. Friends can boost the money available for improvements to parks by tapping into funds that are available to community groups but not to local authorities.

Community Involvement
Bringing the community into the picture, listening to their views and giving them the opportunity to have their say in the future direction of the park informs development plans that respond to local need, offer value for money and are sustainable, which ensures that we continually strive to improve our standards and to produce, not 'perfect' parks but better quality open spaces accessible to everybody, and which provide a clean, safe and healthy environment.

Interested?
Friends can make a difference. If you have an interest in a Maldon District Council owned park or area of public open space and there is already a Friends of Parks group set up, you can contact the group using this link to the Friends Directory.

If you feel that there are issues needing to be addressed relating to an area of open space where there is currently no Friends group and you would like to discuss these with someone please contact the Parks Team.