Unveiled: Friends of Wickford Memorial Park

We had a great Unveiled session at St Andrew's this evening as we heard from Kim Oakes and Janet Dunn about the work of the Friends of Wickford Memorial Park.

The mission of the Friends of Wickford Memorial Park is to enhance and protect the Memorial Park, to ensure that all visitors have a pleasant experience, to promote community spirit in Wickford and to encourage health and wellbeing for the volunteers and all visitors to the park.

Their objectives include:

• Promote the history of the park, ensuring the Memorial status is high profile.
• Endeavour to secure the future of the park, ensuring it is protected.
• Promote access and participation for local residents of all ages and abilities.
• Working to encourage wildlife in the park by improving habitats and ensuring a range plants.
• Create volunteer gardening/planting groups.

The Friends have: replanted the Home Front Garden; planted a woodland area with the Woodland Trust on the Beauchamps Meadow - 3500 new trees; painted the Park Gates; Spring bulb planting; refurbishing and repositioning of the Beacon for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee; refurbishing the Crazy Golf; a hectare of field was sown with native wildflowers; planted a 200 fruit tree Community Orchard; and a fabulous new garden designed for peace and reflection.

In 1946 the idea of a Memorial Park was suggested, which would be a War memorial for the losses of Wickford lives during World War II. In January 1947 the organisers of the War Memorial Fund Committee purchased land, via public fund-raising, from the council at the Runwell Road end.

In 1949 the Park officially became known as the Wickford War Memorial Park and the Avenue of Remembrance was planted. Each tree as a plaque for a fallen solider. The Memorial Gates were added in 1951; a flag pole and formal flower beds a few years later. A further 36 acres were donated and added to the park to provide an area for camping, playing fields and for special needs children.

In the 1970s a bowling green was added; in 1975 a brick built pavilion; 1978 the crazy golf added. In November 1976, a former Nurses Home was demolished where the War Memorial tablets had been mounted. The tablets were transferred to just inside the main gates. By 2004 the plaques were deteriorating and the Wickford War Memorial Association was formed and were successful in campaigning for a new memorial. This was unveiled on November 4, 2011. In early 2012 a ‘Heroes Arboretum’ of trees was added, recording all the Theatres of Operations where Wickford men were killed.

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Paul Simon - Seven Psalms.