Welcome to spring/summer in Wray Crescent

Welcome to spring in Wray Crescent! We wanted to update everyone on news and forthcoming events in Wray Crescent Park, and the introduction of a new secretary for the group.

We also wanted to invite everyone to mark a date in their diaries as we will hold our next public meeting on March 23, at around 11am.

UPDATE: We have now found the venue. Please sign up to join the meeting here.

Keep posted here and on social media for more details as we get them together.

First the events:

We are developing a packed spring/summer programme of projects and events starting in the next few weeks. These will take place alongside our regular park working groups most Saturdays at noon. 

We need help making some of these events happen, so if you want to get involved in them please get in touch – we particularly need help for the festivals.

All the events are free unless otherwise shown. But we do urgently request donations to keep things rolling – so please contribute to our 2024 fundraising campaign. Every penny we receive goes toward the work we do in the park, and we are all volunteers.

Keep watching on the website for further details on these events — and others — as they are announced.

So, what’s coming up in Wray Crescent?

Yes, there will be regular gardening workshops, including plenty of work on maintenance and some extensive weeding — please join us!

March 31: The Easter Egg Hunt

— Bring your kids for the Easter Egg Treasure Trail with Lois,

April 13: Pot a Plant

— With Islington’s Park Rangers, drop by around midday to pick up a little pot plant for your home.

May 18: The Big Buzz Festival

— Come and join us for our annual festival all about the bees. There will be music, stalls, food, face-painting and more at the award-winning event.

June 14: The tea dance

— Every summer LBI organises a tea dance for some senior residents.

July 27: The Wray Crescent Festival (TBC)

— We need loads of help to organise this year’s Wray Crescent Festival. We organised it for the first time last year, but hope to improve it this year. Please lend a hand, as we can’t do it alone!

Summer tai-chi and yoga

— We plan to return with weeknight tai-chi and yoga sessions in the park again this year, but we need to find some additional funding to make that happen. We shall keep you posted.

The orchard project

— Expect a series of orchard-related events for adults and children beginning this year. We’re entering into collaboration with The Orchard Project to grow the small orchard section in the park.

The Wray Crescent History Walk

— After two successful years we understand the Wray Crescent History Walk will return again this year. Dates to be arranged.

And more — yes, other events are also in the planning stage. Please join us!

Campaigns

We know that Islington intends pouring money into construction of a new cricket pavilion in Wray Crescent – the plans for this have been submitted, and while they don’t show up yet on the LBI planning site we are told that they will.

And yet, there are so many other things we think our local community park actually needs, including outdoor gym equipment, chess tables, replacement of the well-used outdoor ping pong table in the kid’s playground, additional play equipment in the playground, kissing gates to reduce motorised transport going through the park, lights near the basketball court and more.

We hope you’ll lend your voice as we campaign for those things.

Can you help us?

As well as people power, the Friends group also needs some additional equipment, compost, soil, and a shed. We also need a far more robust cart for our water irrigation equipment.

Please help us and contribute here.

And most of all — get involved!

Farewell Sacha, Hello Hettie

Last but by no means least, after six years in the role, our secretary Sacha has decided to step down from her post. She won’t be going away – she’s still going to be an active part of the team – but she has to make time for other things.

Sacha has been a visionary and inspiring secretary and has contributed many great projects to Wray Crescent – the vegetable garden and tree nursery to name just two. She will continue to generate ideas and work alongside our team. Sacha’s replacement in the secretary role will be Hettie, who has extensive experience in working in community groups and who also loves our little park.

Thanks so much for the huge amount of work you’ve put into making our park better, Sacha, and welcome Hettie to your new role.