Page 16 - Annual Report 2014/15

Community Cohesion

and Volunteering

Our parks and open spaces provide opportunities for families and communities to spend time together
and enjoy the outdoors. Organised events and activities on many of our sites help to bring communities
together, but informal activities such as dog walking and children playing enable like-minded people to
share their pastimes.
Most of our sites offer a variety of volunteering opportunities from regular weekly or monthly activities and ad hoc seasonal events which help
us to maintain the site in good condition, to less physical activities such as bird counting and welcoming visitors. We have also benefted from
corporate volunteering days, helping local business partners to not only build their teams but also our paths, fences and fower beds!
All our volunteers provide an invaluable service and give us a direct connection with the local community and park users.

WINNER
Best Site of
the Year

Elba Park

Elba Park in Sunderland is a 52 ha park on the site of formal community events including bird walks, bat walks,
a former cokeworks and colliery. Originally restored seasonal events and an extremely successful summer fun day.
with 77,000 native trees and over 3,000 m of footpaths, Several heritage events celebrated the site’s industrial past
over the past three years it has become an important and school children were encouraged to work alongside older
community resource. In 2014/15 Elba Park held more than residents to investigate the fantastic history of the area.
90 events and directly engaged with over 3,700 people.
The park regularly supports volunteering days and in 2015 held its
Community engagement has gone from strength to strength largest ever corporate social responsibility volunteering event with
this year with increasing numbers of local residents interested almost 450 members of Sage Group plc (a global software
in taking an active role and getting involved with the Friends company based in Newcastle) who helped with site improvements,
of Elba Park. To encourage involvement the ranger held 16 maintenance and clearance.

Annual Report / the Land Trust 2015 16