People and the park

The people’s park

Buildings and facilities

Our new facilities mean that that more people have access to the park for longer, feel safer and can use it all year round. (Due for completion Autumn 2023)

• A new community building – ‘The Green House’ is a multi-use space for learning, community groups, volunteering, arts projects and more
• Public toilets
• Improved children’s play facilities with picnic benches nearby
• More benches and places to rest
• Improvements to the aviary
• Sheltered space for informal groups and meetings
• More cycle stands
• An interpretation plan will help us tell the story of the park using modern and traditional methods

Restoration work & grounds maintenance

• The ornamental fountain will be restored
• The historic monuments will be cleaned and made safe for the future
• The entrances will be improved and made more welcoming
• The areas prone to flooding will be improved with new planting suitable for wet ground
• A new bio-diversity area and sensory garden will improve the park for native insects and pollinators

Events and activities

We want to encourage more people to use the park, especially groups that haven’t traditionally visited.  

There will be an annual programme of events and activities including:

• Open air opera, cinema and theatre
• Fairs and markets for craft, art, antiques etc
• Family fun days, teddy bear picnic’s, treasure hunts
• Festivals, gigs and spoken word events
• Organised activities like games days, keep fit, litter picks
• Learning events like tree walks, bird watching, monument tours, school days, workshops and skills classes
• Gardening and other community-led projects
• Volunteering

Health and wellbeing

Open space in our crowded city is so valuable and we want Victoria Park to be a place where people can boost their physical health and mental wellbeing. Many individuals and groups already use the park in this way but we want to encourage more of this by:

• Encouraging people to use the park for physical activity and exercise, everything from from tai-chi and yoga to personal training, junior park-runs and community gardening
• Supporting good mental health and helping to reduce social isolation by providing quiet spaces, ‘talking benches’, volunteering, training and employment
• Improving people’s connection to others with opportunities to get involved in community activities.