Winter break in the Wednesday gardening sessions
The Friends are now taking a Christmas break from their Wednesday gardening sessions in the Chelsea gardens. They will be back in the new year and if you are interested in joining in, we'd love to hear from you.
Led entirely by volunteers, the Friends of Telford Town Park enable individuals of all abilities to make a significant contribution to the maintenance and promotion of our amazing Town park and to enjoy the benefits of working with a friendly group of volunteers in the open air. You can find more about us HERE
You did it again - Town Park voted as one of the top ten favourite parks in the UK
We asked you to vote for our Town Park in the competition to choose the top ten Green Flag parks in the country - and you did. With more than 1,800 sites to choose from – all of which meet the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award - the public, casting more than 65,000 votes, have chosen their ten favourites. And thanks to your votes, this year's list includes Telford Town park.
The Green Flag Award, managed by Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards the very best green spaces in the country. Launched in 1996 The Green Flag Award scheme is now the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the UK.
UPDATE REGARDING CORONA VIRUS RESTRICTIONS
After a long period of lock-down, the Friends were delighted to be able to return to their weekly gardening sessions in the formal gardens of the Town Park in April 2021. The gardens are closed to the public during these working sessions which run from 9.15am to 1pm each Wednesday with social distancing and all other necessary precautions in place.
The image attached to this item was taken as a publicity photo for our very generous sponsors, Henshalls Insurance Brokers of Newport and Shrewsbury.
If you would like to help out, please complete the contact form on this website.
We look forward to some happier days ahead.
For information on the opening arrangements for the gardens, and other facilities within the Park, please check the Telford & Wrekin Council's Town Park web site www.telfordtownpark.co.uk
A warm welcome to the Telford Exotic Zoo
A warm welcome to the Telford Exotic Zoo which opened to the public 
on 24th July following a move from its previous location in Priorslee. The Zoo occupies a 5-acre site on the edge of the Town Park, close to Wonderland and accessed from the Dark Lane car park. It has an extraordinary collection of animals all of which can be seen very close up and our recent visit was enhanced by the presence of a large body
of extremely helpful - and very knowledgeable - staff and volunteers.
Telford Town park attracts visitors from all over the midlands and the zoo will make a wonderful addition to a family day out.
See https://exoticzoo.co.uk for more information
Royal Visit to the Town Park
The Friends were delighted to welcome HRH Princess Anne to the Town Park Gardens on 28th September.
The Princess and Anna Turner, The Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, were escorted around the Chelsea and Maxell Gardens by FOTTP Chairman, Chris Pettman,
Chris said: “I gave the Princess a guided tour of the gardens for around half an hour and she was charming the whole time. She thanked the group for their continuous work on conserving and improving the gardens”
“She had an insight into the history of the area and was very interested in what we do and the people who help as well, it was a huge boost for all our hard work”
The visit of the Princess Royal, following hard on the heels of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in June, is a real tribute to our wonderful Town Park and to the hard work of the Friends in maintaining and improving the gardens.
During her visit Her Royal Highness also planted a commemorative tree in the Gardens, which last month played host to VJ Day celebrations, marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Why spending time outdoors can improve your health
According to a recent article, published on the website PatientAccess.com and reviewed by Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE, "being outdoors has been shown to lower stress, blood pressure and heart rate, while increasing mood and improving mental health. And whether you're walking, running or digging up garden weeds, being outside is increasingly being prescribed by health professionals to improve people's well-being".
The article, which cites academic research to back up the claims for the benefits of outdoor activity, suggests that gardening is particularly beneficial.
If you fancy putting these claims to the test, why not consider joining us for one of our regular weekly gardening sessions in the Chelsea Gardens. We meet from 9.15 am till 1 pm each Wednesday and you don't need to be an experienced gardener. It's a very friendly group and new members are always very welcome. If you're interested or if you need further information, just click the "Contact" tab above and send us a message.
For information on the public opening arrangements for the gardens, and other facilities within the Park, please check the Telford & Wrekin Council's Town Park web site www.telfordtownpark.co.uk
Friends secure new PR sponsor
The Friends of Telford Town Park are delighted to have secured the support of the Wellington-based PR agency, J&PR Ltd, under a sponsorship arrangement designed to boost the profile of the group.
Chris Pettman, Chairman of FOTTP, said he is looking forward to working with J&PR who will make more people aware of the gardens and the work of the group. He said: “It is great to be part of this new partnership which we hope will mutually benefit us both." Read more
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A look back at the Sakura Festival
It was one of our most ambitious projects and one of our most successful. it clearly made an impression on those who attended as we've been asked a number of times when we plan to hold another. We've no plans at present to repeat the event but we can offer the next best thing - a look back at the excellent video that was produced for us by videographer Laura Garwood. You can see it HERE
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Christmas Fun Run
In December 2020, we were sad to have to report the cancellation of the Santa Fun Run. The event was due to take place on 6th December but, following consultation with the Friends, our partners Midland air ambulance had decided that the event could not go ahead.
The Fun run will be back in 2021 and in the meantime , please consider making a donation to Midland Air Ambulance. It is a vital service that relies entirely on the generosity of local people and businesses to raise the annual cost of £9 million.
Friends receive their Prestigious Award
Members of the friends attended a presentation event at the Cavalier Centre near Much Wenlock on 27th July to receive the Queens Award for Voluntary Service from Anna Turner the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire
The Friends of the Town Park were delighted and honoured to have been included in the list of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the Queen's Award this year. The award, which aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities, was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queens Golden Jubilee and recipients are announced each year on 2 June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
Commenting on the award, Chris Pettman, the Chairman of the Friends, said "we are thrilled that our group has been recognised with this prestigious award which reflects not only the dedication and teamwork of our volunteers but also the support received from a number of a number of other local organisations including Parish Councils and private companies that appreciate the value of Telford Town Park to the community of Telford and beyond.
Memory Leaves raise over £800 for charities
The Friends memory leaf scheme, launched last year as part of the Telford 50 celebrations has raised over £800 for a wide range of good causes.The leaves were sold on the basis that £17 of the £25 purchase price would be donated to a charity of the purchaser's choice.
Space on our tree in the Sensory Garden is limited to 50 leaves and as we have now reached that limit we are unable to take further orders at the present time. We are however hoping to install a second memory tree in the New Year and to offer a further batch of leaves.
If you would like to be informed when further leaves are available, just click the Contact tab above and send us a brief message,
Telford and Wrekin launch new "Live Well Telford" directory
A new online community directory, Live Well Telford, has been launched, offering a single point of information and advice to help children, young people and adults live well in the borough. Live Well Telford is an all-age directory, supported by Telford and Wrekin council, and brings together in one place wide-ranging information about services, activities and support available in the area. For further information see https://livewell.telford.gov.uk
Join the Friends
Telford Town park, now officially recognised as the UK’s best park, is an amazing asset for our community. The Friends play a vital part in protecting and improving that asset and we welcome applications for membership from those who wish to support the aims and activities of the group,.....Read More»
Wednesday gardening sessions
The Friends of Telford Town Park have been running Wednesday gardening sessions in the Town Park Chelsea Gardens for several years and were instrumental in the design and construction of the new sensory garden. And now,..... Read More »
