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Volunteer Seasonal Ranger (May - September)
The Parks Trust is looking for three volunteers to help support its community work over the busy summer period. The successful applicants will be involved in delivering the Trust’s education programme, helping to run public events and co-leading conservation tasks. The post would suit somebody who is pursuing a career in countryside work and looking for valuable experience. A flexible approach is necessary as hours may vary.
Hours: 3 days per week
Salary: Volunteer position
Closing date: Monday 12th March 2012
Interview: Thursday 22nd March 2012
To view a job description click here
To apply: please send your CV and a covering letter by Monday 12th March 2012 to Diane Liness, The Parks Trust, Campbell Park Pavilion,1300 Silbury Boulevard, Campbell Park, Milton Keynes, MK9 4AD or by email to d.liness@theparkstrust.com.
If you require any further information or would like an informal chat about the position, contact Martin Kincaid on 01908 255376 or m.kincaid@theparkstrust.com.
Don't Dice With Ice!
The Parks Trust is urging people to keep away from frozen lakes and waterways. Dawn Morland, Community Ranger at The Parks Trust, said: “Our rangers regularly patrol the parks to ensure that visitors and wildlife are safe in these icy conditions – please do not attempt to go onto ice it may be thin and you could go under.”
The advice of the SaferMK community safety partnership, whose members include The Parks Trust and Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, is:
- Keep away from the water’s edge and under no circumstances go on to the ice.
- Be extra vigilant with young children close to the water’s edge.
- Keep your dog under control near frozen water.
- If you see an accident on the ice, call 999 straight away. Do not attempt to go out on to the ice yourself.
- Wear warm clothing and sturdy footwear.
If you see an animal you believe to be in distress on the ice it’s best to report it to the RSPCA on 0300 123 4999.
5th February Parks and Run is Cancelled
Snow has finally arrived and as a result the Parks and Run event planned for 5th February in Linford Manor Park has been cancelled. We apologise for any disappointment but we want our park runners to be safe in these adverse conditions.
The next Parks and Run will take place from Campbell Park Pavilion on Sunday 4th March at 10am.
Seasonal Events Assistant (April - September)
2012 is a massive year for The Parks Trust. It’s our 20th birthday and we have more exciting events happening in our parks than ever before from a Walking Festival to a Diamond Jubilee Garden Party, Open Air Theatre, Open Air Cinema, a Country Fayre and a full range of school holiday events, recreation and sports activities. If you’re an outgoing, enthusiastic and hardworking individual who can help us deliver them we’d love to hear from you.
As part of our busy community team you will help to develop and promote our events programme, work with our volunteers and support community groups and others to organise events within the parks.
The successful applicant will have an enthusiasm for and knowledge of outdoor and sporting activities and must be willing to gain experience of events organisation. You’ll be a passionate individual with the drive to assist in delivering high quality outdoor events. It’s important that you enjoy dealing with members of the public and can ensure that they have a safe experience within our parks. A flexible approach is necessary as hours may vary, and will include weekend and evening work.
Hours: 18.5hrs/week
Salary: £6.50 per hour
Closing date: Friday 17th February 2012
Interview: Week Commencing Monday 27th February 2012
Job description – to view a job description please click here
To apply: please send your CV and a covering letter by Friday 17th February 2012 to Diane Liness, The Parks Trust, Campbell Park Pavilion,1300 Silbury Boulevard, Campbell Park, Milton Keynes, MK9 4AD or by email to d.liness@theparkstrust.com.
If you require any further information or would like an informal chat about the position, contact Julie Dawes on 01908 255375 or j.dawes@theparkstrust.com.
Open Evening for Dog Owners
If you regularly walk your dog in Milton Keynes’ parks The Parks Trust would love to meet you. We’re holding an open evening for dog owners on Thursday 23 February from 7pm until 8.30pm at Campbell Park Pavilion, 1300 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 4AD to talk all things dog and parks related.
We’d like to know what dog owners think about the parks and to hear what type of dog-related events you’d like to see or perhaps be involved in, to listen to your thoughts about how we can encourage responsible dog ownership and find out what type of information is important to you and how you’d like us to communicate with you.
The session will include a short presentation at 7.30pm by our community ranger Dawn Morland who’ll be able to tell you about how we manage the parks so that they can be enjoyed by all our visitors and by local wildlife. We’ll also try and answer any questions you have about dogs and our parks.
We hope you can join us for some tea, coffee and a chat. To reserve your place please call 01908 233600 or email events@theparkstrust.com. So that we have an idea of how many people to expect we’d really appreciate it if you can let us know if you’re attending. As we will be indoors please can we ask you to leave your dog at home on this occasion.
Park in the Pavilion car park.
New walking route created in Stony Stratford
Residents and visitors to Stony Stratford will now be able to enjoy extended walks through the Ouse Valley Park courtesy of a new footpath installed by The Parks Trust.
The new footpath runs adjacent to Queen Eleanor Street and allows walkers and cyclists to take a circular route around Stony Stratford Nature Reserve by joining two existing footpaths at the east and west of the Reserve.
The route begins at the London Road bridge follows the river Ouse to the north of the Nature Reserve, includes a bird hide, connects to the Reserve car park and then follows the line of the Queen Eleanor street to the south of the Nature Reserve.
The footpath has been installed by The Parks Trust’s Direct Works Team and local contractors. Initially the pathway was cleared, over-hanging vegetation removed, the footpath finished with woodchip, sourced from local cricket-bat willow tree felling and two small wooden bridges built to cross ditches.
Rob Riekie, Head of Operations at The Parks Trust, explained: “This footpath will greatly enhance people’s enjoyment of the park. Currently you must retrace your footsteps if you walk in this area, but the new path will extend people’s walk and provide them with the opportunity to enjoy more of the wildlife at the site.”
Half-term Holiday Fun
Introduce your family to the wonderful world of bird watching and fossil hunting at The Parks Trust’s half-term holiday events. Pull on your woollies and explore the natural world and the parks on your doorstep.
Budding birders will join park rangers at the All of a Twitter event on Tuesday 14 February, 10.00-12.00, at Ouse Valley Park. Children will be encouraged to get to know their garden and parkland birds, where they like to live and what they eat. You’ll make bird feeders, discover all about owls and learn how to identify different types of birds.
Or, join the Rocking Rocks event. Park rangers will introduce youngsters to fun events with a geological twist. Discover more about the formation of rocks, build a volcano and hunt for some fascinating fossils. The event takes place on Thursday 16 February, at Stonepit Field at 10.00-12.00.
Booking is a must as these half-term events are hugely popular. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Each event costs £3.00/child. Book online, call 01908 255379 or email events@theparkstrust.com to secure your place.
Education survey
If you have a 5 - 11 year old who has taken part in education sessions in the parks with their school in the last year or so, can you spare about ten minutes to complete our short online survey.
There are only ten questions and we'd really appreciate your feedback. The survey is part of some market research, being undertaken for The Parks Trust by Start Up Research, which will help us to understand what people know about the Trust and the work we do.
You can find the survey here.
Events in Your Parks 2012
Milton Keynes’ parks are bursting with a vibrant programme of sports, wildlife, arts and family events in 2012. The Parks Trust’s new Events Guide provides information on around 200 events and activities happening in parks across the city. It highlights week by week activities to help you to get fit, develop a new skill or simply enjoy Milton Keynes’ beautiful parks and green spaces.
This year’s highlights include an open-air Shakespearean production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits, a two-day festival dedicated to walking, the Big Doggie Do, World Picnic and a garden party in Campbell Park to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The Events Guide includes plenty of activities to keep children occupied during the school holidays, including an Easter Bunny hunt, Frog Day, circus skills and a Spectacular Science event. Further highlights include monthly adult education workshops, a mini-festival to celebrate May Day and Milton Keynes’ hugely popular open-air cinema.
Don’t forget our regular monthly events including: the Women’s Walking Network; bike rides with the Easy Riders, Pushchairs in the Park, orienteering and Parks and Run.
Many of our events are free or have a minimal charge. This year’s Events Guide is supported by MK News, recent winner of Britain’s Best Regional Newspaper title.
To get your free copy of this year's guide, download a copy here or receive a copy by post by calling The Parks Trust on 01908 255379 or email events@theparkstrust.com .
Children's Posters Are Winter Water Safety Winners
Creative schoolchildren have designed posters for a competition to promote winter water safety. The competition, run by the Milton Keynes Water Safety Partnership (which includes The Parks Trust, Milton Keynes Council, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and others), reminds children of the dangers of playing on or near the ice during winter.
Jess Smith, Events & Education Ranger at The Parks Trust, said: “With the Christmas holidays approaching and freezing weather setting in it’s important to spread the message about keeping away from the ice. The schools’ competition is a great way to get children thinking about winter water safety and we’d like to say a big thank you to all the children who entered and to the local companies who have so generously provided our competition prizes.”
Finlay Hughes, 7, from Newport Pagnell and Annabel Owen, 6, from Shenley Church End, winners of the 5 to 7 category, each received a family tobogganing session from the Snowdome at Xscape.
The winners of the 8 to 10 year olds were Emma McEraddy and Sophie Burns, both from Giles Brook School. Their prize was an ice skating session at Planet Ice.
The 11 to 14 year old winners were Charlotte Bennett, 13, from Emerson Valley, and Tara Lewis, 12, from Lavendon who received tickets to see ice hockey team MK Lightning.
The class prize of a forest school session from Milton Keynes Council was awarded to year 6 of Brooksward School, Neath Hill.
