Towpath Taskforce: Kensal Green

Canal Waterways, Local Community

Saturday 17th January 2015
Our first session working along side the Canal and River Trust.

We are assigned roles for the afternoon from litter picking to clearing Buddleia from the canal banks.

photo DSCN3081_zpsnwjiehkn.jpg

Katie here is helped into her life-jacket. As a precaution anyone working near the canal bank must wear a life-jacket.
photo DSCN3083_zps58wae5mv.jpg
Major Buddleia overgrowth!!! This is our vantage point on the barge.
photo DSCN3087_zpskuscgnog.jpg

Cramped location to work in. A saw is needed to separate branches. You can see the branch root sticking out from between the bricks of the wall.
photo DSCN3089_zpsgnvs3jkc.jpg

Once separated we discovered more beneath the waterline.
photo DSCN3090_zpsgmg6hfz9.jpg

Both sides of the bridge finally cleared of Buddleia, we can move on to our next location.
photo DSCN3092_zpsbt5hzyic.jpg

Here we are making our merry way along the Grand Union Canal Kensal Green.
photo DSCN3094_zpsczkzbuo2.jpg
Canal boats navigate around this monster. The picture doesn’t do it justice! We left this for another day or perhaps a whole day.
photo DSCN3115_zps2h3nhsim.jpg

If you are interested in helping out for a few hours in our Wildlife Area or our Towpath Taskforce days, please come along to our next session. Click for dates and times.

Gallery Photos

[AFG_gallery id=’18’]

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this month.

Wildlife Area

titEvery year, the RSPB conduct the Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s a wonderful incentive and great fun for the family.  In 2015 it takes place on 24th & 25th January.  We have a lovely diversity of garden birds in Queen’s Park and this is a great time to record them.

Taking part is simple but if you to register online you’ll get a £5 voucher to spend on their seeds etc.  They will send you a pack in the post or you can save the environment here.

You can either use a pen and paper to record the birds you see, or use the RSPB’s online counting tool. Just go to rspb.org.uk/birdwatch on the weekend of the Birdwatch. All you need is your laptop, tablet or smartphone and a good view of your garden.

To encourage birds into your garden so you have the most successful birdwatch possible, put some bird food out in a spot where you have a clear view. Visit RSPB’s Birdwatch pages for more tips on getting ready.

Christmas Card Recycling

Wildlife Area

Happy Holidays Don’t know what to do with your Christmas cards now?
For every 1,000 cards dropped into Marks & Spencer for recycling throughout January, a new tree will be
planted in the UK.

Last year more than 8 million cards were collected, enabling the Woodland Trust to plant more than 8,000 trees throughout the UK. With such fantastic results last year the Woodland Trust are aiming even higher this year.

The Woodland Trust hope to collect and recycle 10 million Christmas cards by the end of January 2015. This will mean they can plant 10,000 trees, creating homes for treasured wildlife such as dormice and red squirrels.

Over the past five years the Woodland Trust has planted 34,000 trees across the UK. The more cards collected, the more trees can planted by the Woodland Trust.

Look out for the special card collection bins at Marks & Spencer stores from January 2nd thru to 31st January 2015. Christmas cards with glittery or metallic covering can’t be recycled.

Towpath Taskforce: Canal Towpath Cleanup

Canal Waterways, Local Community, Wildlife Area

Come and work off those Holiday Season excesses with a canal clean up. We have planned a session of litter picking and cutting back vegetation along the towpath from Kensal Green to Little Venice (approx. 2 miles).

EventPage
Click to Enlarge

We’ll meet Saturday 17th January 2015 at the back of Sainsbury’s Ladbroke Grove, W10 5AA. Starting at 10am and running through the morning until 2pm. We will be working alongside the Canal and River Trust who care for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales.

The stretch of waterway we will be walking along is approximately two miles in total, so please remember to wear sensible warm clothes and sturdy shoes or boots (if you have them). On reaching Little Venice we can celebrate with hot soup and rolls.

We hope to see you there.

Your Neighbourhood! Get Involved!

Christmas Recycling

Local Community, Queen's Park Gardens

Happy New Year to Friends & Residents.

Westminster have provided a temporary area to bring your Christmas tree when you’ve finished with it.

It’s by the gate near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Ilbert Street and can be used between 8am and 8pm.  Tel: 020 7641 2000  More details at their website.

photo IMG_5032_zpsim13eqq5.jpg
Recycling Christmas Cards for the Woodland Trust

Between 2nd and 31st January 2015 for every 1,000 cards donated to the Woodlands Trust, they will be able to plant one tree.
Last year more than 8 million cards were collected, enabling the Woodland Trust to plant more than 8,000 trees throughout the UK.

Over the past five years the Woodland Trust has planted 34,000 trees across the UK. The more cards collected, the more trees can planted by the Woodland Trust.

Look out for special card collection bins in Marks & Spencer stores from 2nd January through to 31st January 2015.

Queen’s Park Gardens Outdoor Winter Festival

Local Community, Open Spaces, Queen's Park Gardens

A5-Winter-Fest-blue_proof2-1-page-001

For the first time, Queen’s Park Gardens had an Outdoor Winter Festival.

Organised by TELL – IT Parents’ Action Group,  it took place in the Rose Garden.

There was a variety of entertainment and the Community Council had mince pies and mulled wine..

The over 50’s kicked the events off with festive entertainment in St Jude’s Church beforehand!

50+'s event

A5-Winter-Fest-blue_proof2-1-page-002

FQPG: 2014 AGM

Meeting Agenda

The Friends of Queen’s Park Gardens (FQPG) – 2014 AGM

‘Encouraging residents to work develop ideas and projects for Queen’s Park Gardens and green spaces in the area’

Meeting Agenda

  1. Chair’s Report
  2. Appointment of Committee – Chair, Secretary and Treasurer
  3. Finance & Fundraising, Reaching out to other Volunteer Forces & Programmes
  4. Projects for 2015

In the Park…

Wildlife Area – Phase 2
Rose Garden

Beyond the Gardens…

Clean Up Queen’s Park Day
Beethoven Centre Courtyard
Front Garden’s Competition 2015

  1. Any Other Business

Please download the minutes from our November 2014 AGM meeting:
[download id=”1239″]

Active Queen’s Park – MUGA

Queen's Park Gardens

Queen’s Park Gardens – Multi Use Games Area (MUGA)

The planned improvement works to the Games Area and the provision of the new outdoor gym at Queens Park Gardens commenced on Monday 6th October.

What’s the Timescale?
The works to resurface the MUGA will be completed by 12th December.
The installation of the floodlighting will take up to 2 months to complete as it involves working with UK Power Network to install the power supply.

What will the facility look like when it’s finished? 
The facility remains a ‘hard court’ surface. Key changes are new fencing to split the courts and allow different activities to take place at the same time, new goals, floodlights and a dedicated entrance off Ilbert St.

The photo below taken from the Paddington Recreation MUGA gives an indication of how it will look with the green colour macadam coating and line markings

photo MUGA_zpsswms0ogd.jpg

 

If you have any questions about the new fitness equipment, please leave a comment below..