AGM

Thursday 24th September 2020, 6.30pm

We are going to try and hold this years AGM on line via zoom.  Many of you will have had experience with this app during lockdown, some of you won’t have.  Hopefully it will prove to be easy although possibly not very interactive.

Please click on the link below to register and you will be sent log in and password details.

Please register in advance for this meeting.

If you have any questions please send them through to the secretary.friendsofbishopspark@gmail.com before 22nd September.

Register Here

To read the 2019 AGM mins please click on this link

There are a few changes to the current committee

Roger Weston is standing down as Secretary, we thank him for his sterling work in this position.  It was supposed to be temporary!  Thank you Roger.

Isabel Hill Smith is standing down as treasurer.  A position she has executed with great precision and helpfulness. We thank her for her diligence.

Jane Swithinbank is also standing down, we thank her for all her help and hope that she will continue with the wonderful Nature Notes for the newsletter.

The following members of the committee are willing to stand for another year.

Co Chair
Melanie Healy
Rowena Vaughan 
Proposed by Roger Weston and seconded by Victor Ho
Membership Secretary
Isabelle Du Bois – proposed by Melanie Healy and seconded by Rowena Vaughan

General Committee Members without portfolio
Roger Weston – proposed by Melanie Healy and seconded by Rowena Vaughan
Victor Ho – proposed by Melanie Healy and seconded by Rowena Vaughan

Standing as for Secretary
Sarah Jane Johnson – proposed by Melanie Healy and seconded by Rowena Vaughan

Standing as Treasurer
Tommaso Ponsele – proposed by Sarah Jane Johnson and seconded by Melanie Healy

If members would like to stand for committee please  send your application with proposer and seconder to: chair.bishparkfriends@gmail.com

The Friends of Bishop’s Park are holding their AGM on 16th October at the Palace Gardener.

6.30pm meeting starts at 7.00pm

All are invited to join us for our AGM, there will be drinks , a chance to see what the Palace Gardener has to offer and a talk by Alex Laird on her book from Root to Stem.

The Annual General Meeting of the Friends is due to be held on Thursday 19th October at St Ethrelda’s Church Hall, corner of Fulham Palace Road / Cloncurry Street. Doors open 7:30 p.m.

Our first guest speaker this year is: Peter Eversden, MBE, Chairman of The London Forum.

The London Forum represents the views and interests of amenity and civic societies in London and their members on issues that are important for the living and working environment of Londoners, particularly in the fields of Town Planning, Development Management, Heritage, Transport, Infrastructure, Waterways and Open Spaces.

Our second speaker is Seam O’Loughlin from Fulham Football Club who wills speak on their planning application for the Riverside Stand.

Photos of events in the park can be seen in our photo gallery. Check it out as new photos are being added with new events in the park.

Or join us on Facebook! Check out the Bishops Park page for all the latest news on events in the park.

The AGM on 25th October was well attended, but numbers were lower than last year. There was lively discussion on the various issues affecting the park.

Our speaker, Colin Cooper of SWLEN spoke on the important place parks have in the general wellbeing of people and how friends groups can influence and connect with local authorities.

Chairman Amanda Lloyd Harris  stood down after 14 years at the helm; however she will still be around as one of the Councillors of the ward in which the park lies.

Melanie Healy and Rowena Vaughan were voted in as Co Chair.  All other positions remain the same.

Cllr Wesley Harcourt (Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport & Residents Services) was the keynote speaker at our recent AGM. He assured all present that while LBHF was, like other local authorities, cash-strapped, he would be doing all he could to maintain the quality of Bishops Park. Questions from the audience ranged from inevitably, the situation regarding the proposed FFC development to cyclists and lighting in the park.

“…We have been involved in consultations about the suggestion of leaving Bishops Park open at night. This got a resounding NO from all parties including the Metropolitan Police, Palace Riverside Safer Neighbourhood Panel and residents that emailed me directly. The main concern is about the potential increase in anti-social behaviour and that if the park is open 24hrs then other individuals will start congregating in the park from other areas of the borough…” Extract from Chairman’s AGM report.

This year we were very lucky to have two diverse speakers. Miranda Poliakoff, the Curator of Fulham Palace, and Darren Preston, COO of Fulham Football Club. Miranda spoke on the current exhibition entitled ‘From Bishop’s Home to People’s Palace”. It was fascinating and it is a must see exhibition for all the local community. If you have any pictures or items that might be helpful for this type of exhibition then Miranda would love to hear from you. The Museum is a marvellous local asset, so do try and visit.

Virginia spoke eloquently and in depth about the struggle prevent commercialisation of and encroachment on public open space; especially at Hammersmith Park. This serves as a wake-up call to residents as to what might happen to other parks nationwide. We are already seeing attempts at the same in our own Bishops Park.