Friends Of Farm Green

Friends of Farm Green was formed by Bevendean residents to fundraise to improve Farm Green Park and surrounding green space.

Friends of Farm Green was formed by a group of local residents dismayed at the slow decline and dereliction of the Farm Green Playground.

With no help or funds forthcoming from the local council; Friends of Farm Green decided to do something for the benefit of their community and have successfully started fundraising.

Our aim is to improve the playground and make the park more inclusive for the whole community whilst being sympathetic to the local ecology of the downs.

We live in Bevendean in Brighton;Bevendean is within the top 7, 000 most deprived areas in the entire country.

The park has little play equipment left that works and is safe for children to use. It's fencing has holes and needs replacing, the surfacing needs replacing and new equipment is needed that will cater to children of all ages.

We also want to improve the surrounding green space by installing a sensory garden that older residents (we have two care homes in the area), children with learning and sensory needs and all residents can enjoy.

We are making links with the local Bevendean Community Garden and Bevendean History Group to create workshops to educate children, families and older people about the area, healthy eating and exercise, which includes creating walks and opportunities with the section of the South Downs that we are connected to.

We have received a small grant to help with the sensory garden and workshops, and part of the aim is to make a bee and butterfly friendly space using appropriate plants and shrubs.

There are very few resources in Bevendean for families, with no other park, no youth centre or community centre in the area.

The park is next to the primary school, so has a lot of children that use it daily, so we want to make it safer, more fun and to include equipment that will promote exercise and socialising to improve mental and physical wellbeing.

Our committee consists of local residents, many are parents, and we get advice and support from a local community development worker.