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.
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.
