Feature Rosebank Millennium Green
Lydia Taylor takes in a day of community action in Hyde Park
Feature: Rosebank Millennium Green
On Tuesday 3rd August, a small stretch of Hyde Park became alive with activity, talk and cups of tea as volunteers, residents and local groups descend upon the Rosebank Millennium Green in the name of community regeneration. The event marked the launch of project ‘Rosebank Millennium Green 2010’, organised by the Rosebank Trust, which combines the experience of Hyde Park Source and BTCV with the efforts of volunteers to improve the Green from its 2000 regeneration, and preserve it for the future.
Always willing to try new things, I donned my oldest jeans, walking boots, rolled up my sleeves and joined the crowd. Running from 11am to 3pm, volunteers were invited to try their hands everything from mosaicing to vegetation clearance, litter picking to wall building. Those willing to work a full ‘day’ were rewarded heartily with a locally-sourced barbecue courtesy of Pop foods, tea and coffee, and tunes from a local band. Those, like me, who arrived alone found themselves new friends before they knew it – munching and bopping, everyone chatted, bumped into neighbours and met new people.
But for most of the volunteers the Rosebank project is more than just a free lunch and four hours outside. Local residents and their kids passing by marvelled at the mosaics, those doing litter picking and veg clearance were thanked by people walking their dogs, people asked what was going on and offered their skills. After all, whilst Hyde Park provides a good green space for residents and students, small stretches like Rosebank are really important too. They give people somewhere to meet and relax outside, for children to play and to break the dull greyness of housing. As a student during term times, the Rosebank project gives me a place to give back to the community I live in – rather than just being a place that I sleep and work in.
The project is just one part of Leeds’ Year of Volunteering. It runs from 11am to 3pm, Tuesday – Thursday throughout August. There will be workshops on Wednesdays specialising everything from comic book making, T-shirt printing to kite making. A full day includes lunch, with some travel expenses provided for those who need it. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. For more information and directions, visit http://rosebank2010.blogspot.com. I’m sure I’ll be there.
Posted on Monday 16th August 2010
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