Friends of Groups

Joining a Friends of Group can be extremely rewarding and provides a great opportunity to socialise, be active and get involved in your local parks and green spaces.

What do our friends of groups get involved in?

Making sure the community's voice is heard in the management of the park
Fundraising for improvements and additional facilities
Organising events in the park
Undertaking practical tasks like litter picking and tree planting
Park patrols - identifying and reporting any issues within the park
Helping in the management of the park
Promoting the park to the wider community

Want to join a Friends of Group?

Below is a list of Friends of Groups that exist across the borough. If you are interested in joining a group, you can do by contacting them via their email address listed below.

Friends of Damson Parks

The Friends of Damson Parks (FoDP) voluntary group, established in 2012, aims to support and work closely with Solihull MBC in the maintenance, improvement and development of Damson Lane Park. This has involved fund-raising through quiz evenings, dog shows and many successful applications to funding bodies such as the National Lottery, Solihull Round Table, Veolia, Tesco Bags and a variety of other organisations. Well over £100,000 has been raised since the group’s formation.

FoDP also provides practical support to SMBC through the tidying of flower beds, trimming of hedges, and regular reporting of any issues in the park. FoDP is now raising funds to provide more accessible facilities for children with limited mobility in its play area, as well as a second sports wall. Volunteers are warmly welcomed to join the group and can view our Facebook page, Friends of Damson Parks, for more information or email: damsonparks@gmail.com

Friends of Hillfield Park

The Friends Hillfield Park are a voluntary group that aims to support and work closely with Solihull MBC in the maintenance, improvement and development of Hillfield Park. This has involved fund-raising, litter picking and maintaining the Armed Forces Community Garden.

Being part of the Armed Forces Gardening group not only brings self satisfaction on tending to the garden but, also for the rest of the community who wander or sit amongst the flora taking time to ponder and listen to nature which is great for mind and body. By joining us not only is it good exercise its a great way to start conversation with passers by who are always grateful.

If you are disheartened by the amount of litter around our neighbourhood like we were before we started the litter picking group please join us. It offers you good exercise and satisfaction when you clear an area and it then becomes quite addictive.

For more information about joining us, please email: Hillfieldpark@hotmail.com

Friends of Hope Coppice

Hope Coppice is one of the newest open spaces in Solihull which it is hoped will develop as a nature reserve for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy. Whilst still in its infancy it has been accredited with the prestigious Green Flag Award. This award recognises those special publicly accessible parks and open spaces.

The Friends of Hope Coppice are a volunteer group who ensure that the area is properly maintained and support the development of the park through funding applications. This funding is used to purchase items such as benches, bird and bat boxes and path improvements to ensure the park is accessible for all and supports a wide variety of wildlife.

For more information about joining us, please email:

Friendsofhopecoppice@hotmal.com

Friends of Shirley Park

Friends of Shirley Park formed in 2017 but became a constituted group in January of 2018.

Over the years we have raised funds to buy items to help bring the park back into an attractive and diverse are for families.

We started with raised planters with platforms for children to see in at the plants or to be used a seats.

We have also installed Bat Boxes and Owl Boxes to help some of the wildlife.

Then to complete our park furniture we had picnic tables made, designed to allow people with pushchairs or wheelchair users to be included in a circle of friends and not stuck at the end like most accessible tables seem to do.

While all these things are being planned and done we arrange a monthly litter pick where everyone and anyone is invited to join in.

For more information about joining us, please email:

Friendsofshirleypark@outlook.com

If you would like to set up a Friends of Group, please read this document and contact us at lovesolihull@solihull.gov.uk