Alan talks about how he discovered different parts of the park after years of only playing football there! And about the value of social prescribing and the difference it would make to have someone employed part time to support volunteering in the park and link with GP practices and encourage more people to use the space to improve their wellbeing. 

Hello, Paul. Um, yeah, I guess you've lived around Longford Park quite a long time. Am I right? OK, so, uh, you've seen different sides of it and enjoyed different things in it, I presume. Tell me a little bit about what you like about the park, particularly love trees

And now I mean to be truthful. Um, I came quite late to this government park. I mean, apart from playing football, which was, um, regular Sunday morning activity

But, um, went all through the seventies and the eighties until I got a little bit too old and do that. So, you know, I didn't really appreciate it. It was just a football pitch to me for many years

Then, you know, being involved in the community a lot and just opening my eyes a bit more. Just really. You know, I still do remember when there was the building and the conversation of the hall thinking, This is brilliant

If you want to encourage kids to come and vandalise it, you put notices up saying dangerous building to keep out. And that could have could have been a resource, that sort of real real opportunity wasted. And we know we now know that we wouldn't do that these days

You actually see it as something worth a bit like Victoria basing in Russia stroke Victoria Park. We're just worth worth keeping, you know. Yeah

So the whole to me was a bit of a tragedy. Big, big mistake. I don't simply put any blame

Of course it's traffic, so yeah. Yeah. Um, so you obviously are involved in the community allotment, and you've said some of the things that you particularly like about it

Do you think there are things that could be improved about the park? And what do you think those are really? Well, nothing can't be improved. Um, and the park is well used, and I like the fact the sports ground in the park, because that brings younger people. I think cycling seems to me when a more person does include quite a lot of disabled young people, which I think is great because the bike, the variety of bikes, not just days, but anything that can encourage, you know, some more participation, more diversity, you know? I mean, look at us as a community lot

We're all you know, much of a muchness. Really we can't help it, but we should be thinking a little bit more about how we can include our Wilson. OK, there's an opportunity now with this ground work that might bring in some kids might bring in some people who who who might better use it or contribute to it

Or so I'm very keen on that sort of initiative. And and and others I still feel this place is so beautiful that we know the community a lot can be very therapeutic. You need to bring more people you gain, and we might need to be trained how to just one or 21 or two sessions a week

Do you do you think having you know, I'm thinking about the historic lottery bids that we that we're hoping to go in for? Uh, I think one of the suggestions was having a community, uh, having a paid role, um, to develop, volunteering more? Would that be helpful? Yes, I I have a friend when he's just died. But a friend of mine was involved in the community and they have a part time. It will just, you know, make sure the things ticks over

Plus, you know, be the reference point for, you know, the local GP surgeries, etcetera. Want to prescribe, you know, like gardening or to have someone to talk to, And that works well. You can't really do that with the way we're set up as a committee

Um, you would need one person to to do it. And it's probably two owners as a part time paid or or as a as a as something that someone who might have wider responsibilities about making the park more attractive, absolutely inclusive, whatever names and just goes and thinks about it. There are other things there are

There are groups that would benefit. Not just this. It is the the play group

It is the cafe. It is the sports ground. It is the It is the dog walkers place

Yes. So it it's a you know, it's many, many things to many different people. I mean, yes

So yeah, but it would probably be helpful. You're saying to have to have the input of of that? Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's good. Anything else you want to particularly say about the park itself? Um, it is drop dead gorgeous in terms of trees at the moment

It's just just a pleasure, you know? That's it, really? On a cold Monday afternoon in November? Yeah, that's great. Thanks very much.

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