HOT NEWS 24 June 2008: The work on the new playpark started yesterday. It should be in within the next two weeks!!! - Roseanne Savage, Chair Woodroad Regeneration Forum

See Open Letter recently published in the Cumnock Chronicle below!

Engaging our Community, Regenerating our Area

What is the Woodroad?

The Woodroad is a stunning park situated in Cumnock in Ayrshire surrounded by Ancient Woodlands. The Woodroad Park was created in 1935, when 25 acres of land was acquired for £500.00. Over time a swimming pool, tennis court, putting green, playing fields, camping site and children's play area were added.

However by 2007, almost everything was gone and the Woodroad Park is now viewed by local people as an eyesore. The area is adversely affected by the regular gathering of local youths to drink and its edges are strewn with litter. Another major problem within the park is a minority of dog owners who continually allow their dogs to foul within the grounds and see no need to clean this up.

Who is the Woodroad Regeneration Forum?

We are a group of like minded residents who in 2007 formed the WRF to enable and assist local residents in their attempts to find ways of improving the local community and surrounding areas with the park as a central focus. With a population of 9500 we recognise the need to "do something".

What do we hope to achieve?

The project is the development of a community park in Cumnock situated in the Woodroad
The project will be undertaken in four phases:

Phase 1 is the development of a safe play area with a range of equipment to suit toddlers to juniors.

We have successfully raised the funds for Phase 1. We have raised enough money to purchase a toddler/junior play park, seating, benches and signage. This will be in place within the Park by late September.

Phase 2 is geared towards the older children and will include; a sports area which will include football and possibly a basketball court. If funding can be sought we also hope t have an area designated for a skate park with a range of equipment suitable for skateboarding and roller skating.
Phase 3 will incorporate making an area of conservation and beauty making a feature area for all ages to enjoy. Phase 3 will also involve regenerating and upgrading the ancient Woodlands. Most recently on the 7th of June, we received notification that we had been awarded £10,000 as contribution from breathing Places for the Ancient Woodlands Project.
Phase 4 is the development of a community facility. This could be the refurbishment of the existing building which is housed within the Woodroad. This will be used as an office for the forum, meeting facility for local groups and organisations, cafe and perhaps an indoor play area for toddlers.

What can you do to help?

Why not registered as a friend of the Woodroad Park? You would then become a volunteer who could help us with fund raising and be part of our fun days.

Perhaps you would like to purchase a bench and dedicate this to someone. Leave a lasting memory in the park of someone you love who perhaps had fond memories of the park.

Perhaps businesses would like to donate a piece of equipment?

There are so many ways people can help. There are those who talk the talk and say what should happen. Let's take action and make those things happen.

This is our park, our children's park but more importantly this is a park for generations to come. Let's rebuild it and have something that Cumnock can truly be proud of.

For information contact woodroadpark@aol.com

An open letter about Woodroad Park

I am writing to you both as a resident and as part of the Woodroad Group and making an appeal to all residents in the area.

The new play park is about to go in late June/Early July and the funding for this is in place. The group have already invested a considerable amount of time and money in this project and by the end of July over £100,000 will have been invested in the Woodroad. This money has been raised solely by the effort and hard work of the residents of Cumnock.

We have been met with some negativity over this project as people fear that the project will be vandalised and destroyed. This is something that the group are fearful of too and sometimes wonder if it was all worth it. For us though the answer has to be yes.

There are many problems in the Woodroad. The first that I would like to address is the dog fouling. Many people have dogs these days and have them because they care and love their animals. I wonder then why they do not care enough to clean up after them. Last week alone through the children's play park, there were five dog fouling. This is both utterly disgraceful and extremely hazardous to a young child's health. This is a growing problem within the Woodroad but one that could easily be solved if people took the time and effort to clean up after their dog. t is not an expensive chore and indeed a packet of standard nappy sacks (75) costs less than £1.00. There are enough bins in the park that this could not be an excuse for the lack of consideration for the many residents young and old who do enjoy the park. Have you ever had a crying child run up to you because they are covered in dog foul. It is not pleasant and to any dog owner who does this it is complete ignorance. I am sorry if this sounds harsh but this is becoming an increasing problem.

The second problem is the vandalism and the poor behaviour of the youth in the Woodroad. It is important to stress that for every child who has lost their way in Cumnock due to peer pressure or other reasons and has decided to act inappropriately there are 10 decent children. We must not be tempted to tar all kids with the same brush because some really do care. The most important thing to remember with regards to the ones who act inappropriately is that they are someone's son or daughter. The parents of the children who are committing these acts must know that they come in drunk or misbehave. From a personal point of view, I have a teenager and I know what it is like and the pressures on them to be the same as everyone else. I also appreciate that sometimes the adults forget that they too where once young and I am sure that if we all think back we did something that our parents disapproved off.

It is also not for me or the group to tell parents not to allow their children to drink. However, we can appeal to you to ask these children not to then go and destroy the area. We are building a park for everyone but if phase 1 fails due to vandalism, we will most probably be unsuccessful in funding for further phases.

On Friday evening there where over 50 youths in the park drinking and urinating on the bridge and the play park. On Saturday we had the quad bikes going up at an alarming rate. We now find the bridge at the Glebe closed and for anyone who does not know the reason for this, this is due to vandalism. For over six weeks there was a tiny hole on the right side of the bridge leading into the park. It was no bigger than a 50p piece. On Sunday evening, a group of youths decided for whatever reason to batter this senseless and make this bigger. We now have a very unsafe bridge which has been closed for this reason. This was not a decision taken by the group but a decision appropriately made by East Ayrshire Council. We believe it is imperative that CCTV or security of some description is put in this park. It would be a travesty if the residents of Cumnock raised all this money for it then to be destroyed at the hands of mindless individuals.

Our plans may be ambitious with the final stage being a new building but we feel that the residents of Cumnock deserve this. From Toddlers to Pensioners every single person should have somewhere to go, feel safe and enjoy. This is OUR PARK. Please help us to regenerate this by giving your support, educating your children and looking out for each other.

Your comments and feedback would be welcomed.
Kindest regards,

Roseanne Savage
Chair, Woodroad Regeneration Forum