Minutes of meeting held in person
Present
| Hazel Glenister (chair) | Helen Goodsell | Paul Hurst | Francine Lawrence |
| Gill Close (minutes) | Cllr Tariq Dar | Sajjad Dar | David McClements |
| Bassil Elnaiem |
Invitees interested in becoming trustees: Fitzroy Lee, Owen Plummer
Apologies
| Lia Colacicco | Mark Cummins | Cllr Liz Dixon |
Actions are shown by initials in bold.
Approval of minutes
- Minutes approved.
Update from Parks Service and wildlife issues
- Sam Haines will arrange for Continental Landscapes to trial after Easter collecting litter at 3.30pm every weekday plus alternating Saturdays and Sundays
- On 23 April, Sam Haines will meet Leslie Williams with Hazel to identify what needs doing with the pond, reeds and fallen tree.
- Sam Haines has been in contact with Network Rail, which will arrange a clear up of litter on their land alongside the railway tracks.
- The playground trampoline has been repaired.
- Helen and Sam met with Madeleine Smith, the artist for the meadow signs. The image was unrealistic; she will be doing more.
- Continental Landscapes will apply for London in Bloom for the walled garden this year.
- Sam Haines said she and their drains contractor had visited the flooding locations by the sculptures, at the bottom of the wide path up to the playground and along the path parallel to Kendal Road. The regular preventative jetwashes no longer took place so blockages had built up. They were looking at whether some jet washing could be reinstated.
- PH said the flooding at the corner of Mulgrave Road was a Thames Water problem which they had been checking today. GC to put on the list of questions for Kelly Eaton to answer at the public meeting.
- Sam Haines had reported that the council’s bid for “In The Loop” grant funding for solar powered enclosed bins with a foot pedal had been unsuccessful but she would keep looking for funds. FL said she would research bins then request that the council found funding for them.
- The work on the tennis courts office, toilet and drinking fountain had fallen behind.
- Helen reminded trustees about the cherry tree walk and picnic at 11am on Sunday 7 April.
- Helen will follow up with Kelly Eaton or Sam Haines the lack of mowing around entrances and in the pleasure grounds, and the small inefficient mower being used.
Public meeting 2pm-4pm Saturday 20 April
- Kelly Eaton, Brent Council’s Head of Parks, Leisure and Cemeteries, will be asked to give a presentation including her vision for Gladstone Park and then to answer questions. Trustees suggested issues should include replacing the stolen benches more securely with spot welding, drinking fountains, making space for girls and gritting of paths. GC to circulate over the weekend a list of issues for Kelly to address. Trustees to amend and add to it. GC to send list to Kelly.
- Arrangements on the day: SD to obtain key and open up rugby clubhouse by 12.30pm. GC to arrive then and arrange furniture set up similar to last meeting, sign-in lists and agendas.
- Helen to coordinate refreshments. Hazel to arrive at 1pm.
- GC to send the flyer to all trustees for all to publicise on their networks and social media.
- GC to send details of how to sign up for the FoGP newsletter. BE offered to set up a Friends of Gladstone Park social media account. GC to circulate all email addresses of trustees and invitees.
Focus of our work
- Discussion of long term goals, achievements within a year, ongoing activities and who would lead on them were held over until next meeting due to lack of time. It will be a focus of the meeting.
- Hazel will look again at the list of long term, medium term and short term goals on page 3 of the agenda that were suggested by a few trustees last year as well as the copse plans. Hazel will add to it key points raised at the public meeting.
- At the last trustee meeting: BE suggested sports and music events for young people – football, rugby or tennis tournament; SD said arts and crafts activities would be well attended; GC said work with schools, linked to their curriculum, was also key.
Constitutional matters
- The trustees unanimously voted in favour of the resolutions “The Friends of Gladstone Park trustees appoint David McClements as a trustee of Friends of Gladstone Park” and “The Friends of Gladstone Park trustees appoint Bassil Elnaiem as a trustee of Friends of Gladstone Park” so David McClements and Bassil Elnaiem were duly appointed as trustees. DM spoke of his work the copse and the application for it to become a Local Nature Reserve as well as encouraging more people to use the park. BE wanted more sports activities and more young people to use the park.
- The following had expressed interest in becoming a trustee and were invited to the meeting: Owen Plummer, Fitzroy Lee and Silvia Fermo. Owen and Fitzroy attended. They both expressed interest in becoming a trustee. Next meeting will include resolutions to appoint each of them, which trustees will vote on. Silvia Fermo sent apologies.
- Revision or clarification of matters agreed at the 6 February meeting was held over due to shortage of time and to enable LD to be present.
Finance
- The treasurer’s report showed a balance of £2,748.12 and the 2024 expenditure by the Gladstone Gardening Group as £278.35 of the nominal £1000 allocated annually to plants.
- Reimbursement to Helen of £200 for 15 rose plants was agreed.
Actions for trustees from 4 March meeting not elsewhere on the agenda
- GC reported that Tony Kennedy, the head of the council’s highways management, would replace the old mirror on the high footbridge because the surface of the bridge was deemed a public highway so came under the council’s responsibilities. The broken step riser was a structural matter for which Network Rail was responsible, so he would report it to them for inspection.
- FL will print a small notice about StreetLink to fit into the noticeboards. FL will draft and circulate wording about FoGP and how to become a friend for a small notice to display on noticeboards.
- FL and GC to write wording for Facebook on how and why to report Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) breaches using the QR code or url on the notice.
Any other business
- FL said the sign boards showing walking routes were no longer legible.
- TD reported that Eid in the park had run quietly and been cleared up well.
- Resurfacing of the steep path from the high bridge would start on Monday.
- Walk2Run at 8am Tuesdays from the Olive Road entrance https://groups.runtogether.co.uk/Walk2Run
Date of next meeting
- 6.30pm to 8pm Tuesday 4 June 2024 at Pakistan Community Centre, Marley Walk NW2 4PU