As the council prepares to spend its £1m Parks Improvement Fund across green spaces in Greenwich, we wanted to know: what would you most like to see improved about Charlton Park? An astonishing 226 people responded to our survey – and a huge thank you to you all.
Our report, available below, paints a picture of a green space that is well-used and much loved. Charlton Park is a true community park: somewhere you can go for a walk, a run or a kickabout. Somewhere the kids can play, where you can grab a coffee, where there’s a skate park for testing your skills and tranquil gardens for watching the squirrels. Best of all, it's a place where people feel they are part of a diverse and friendly community.
But it's also in need of a good deal more care and attention. Whether it was the playground, the pitches, the gardens or the skate park, almost all areas of Charlton Park cropped up as needing repairs or maintenance of one kind and another. Cleaner toilets, better lighting, even football pitches, new playground equipment and level paths were all top priorities.
There were also wonderful ideas for making the park more special: a community vegetable patch, picnic areas, a perimeter path, a regular Parkrun, a pocket forest for wildlife – to name but a few.
Greenwich Council's Parks Improvement Fund has been earmarked to cover "playground improvements, facility maintenance, modernisation of the sports changing rooms, new park furniture and creation of a wildlife meadow" in Charlton Park, which is a fantastic start. But there is plenty more work to be done, and we will be seeking the support of Greenwich Council in applying for further funding from the Greenwich Neighbourhood Growth Fund.
If you'd like to get involved, volunteer or share your views, please email us on friendscharltonpark@gmail.com. And don't forget to read our full report below.
