A friends’ group committed to maintaining and improving a park have started a number of their major projects.

Friends of Pinner Village Gardens have been planting bulbs as part of their ‘Bluebell Wood’ scheme and they have spent time tidying up the park’s ponds.

Member Jackie Lindop explained how the project came about after a Pinner resident expressed a desire to see a “spread of English bluebells” in the area.

The first stage is now complete as the Friends, with the help of schoolchildren from across Harrow, planted 2,000 bulbs in the park. They hope to see the first flush of bluebells in Spring next year.            

A fundraising campaign is also underway as part of the ‘Playground Improvement Project’, which hopes to see the children’s play area renovated.

Antonia Savvides, who is part of the group, noted how this is something that has been on their agenda for a while.

She said: “The playground area has been neglected for a number of years and the result is a very run down and featureless facility in desperate need of improvement and additional facilities.

“The Friends are raising funds through fundraising and grants that will allow us to pay for essential improvements.”

The children's play area in Pinner Village Gardens

Ealing Times:

She explained how the total sum for new equipment, picnic benches, fencing and gates will be around £40,000.

The group has started a crowdfunding page to help raise the money and will be holding a number of fundraising events in the coming months.

Antonia believes the park, with its location and wonderful history, has great potential but she appreciates that, while this is a start, lots needs to be done.

She said: “This is a lovely park but it’s the smallest in Pinner and one of the least well known.

“Therefore it tends to be one of the more neglected parks and it receives less attention in terms of funding.

“But that doesn’t mean things can’t be done. We just need to have organisation and work out how it’s best to go forward.”

A membership drive earlier in the year saw the group expand to more than one hundred members, and they hope to attract even more people as they continue to work and grow.

Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/antonia-savvides to donate to the playground project and friendsofpvg.org.uk for more information about the group.