03/10/2026
šæ Friends of Collingwood Rec ā Celebrating Our First Year! šæ
One year ago, a group of dog walkers came together with a shared goal, to help make Collingwood Rec a safer, greener and more welcoming space for everyone. Since then, the Friends of Collingwood Rec group has been listening to local concerns, sharing ideas and working with the council to help turn community priorities into action. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us, volunteered, contributed ideas and helped give our park a stronger community voice.
Over the past year, we've met with Dawn and Sarah from Sutton Council to discuss a range of improvements and ideas for Collingwood Rec, including:
š³ Creating a fenced dog exercise area.
š¦ Developing a nature area to encourage wildlife.
šæ Planting native hedgerows.
šŖ Installing new picnic benches.
š² Reviewing the layout of the cycle and pedestrian paths, including the possibility of swapping their positions and introducing 5mph speed-limit markings.
šļø Addressing overflowing bins, particularly after busy weekends when they aren't emptied until Tuesday.
ā½ Contacting the football club to see whether they can provide additional bins for girls' football at weekends.
š® Installing new, closed-top bins to discourage household rubbish dumping.
š Replacing the faded āNo Dogsā signs on the play-area gates.
Early progress is already visible!
The new āNo Dogsā signs are now in place, and new bins have also been installed and are regularly emptied. We planted 250 bulbs last year, which produced a lovely display in the spring. We have been allocated a further 500 to plant this year. These are welcome improvements and show that raising local concerns can lead to positive change.
There is still more to do, and I'll be following up with the council on the outstanding items, particularly:
Reviewing the cycle and pedestrian path layout, including the possibility of swapping them over.
Introducing clear 5mph speed-limit markings to help address the problem of e-bikes and e-scooters speeding through the Rec, particularly when they are putting pedestrians, children and dogs at risk of serious injury.
Progressing plans for a fenced dog area, nature area and picnic benches.
I'll also be chasing up the basketball nets for the MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) again. One net has been missing since January, and the other was removed in August. It's disappointing that these facilities remain unavailable, and we'll continue to push for their replacement.
Our first year has been about starting conversations, raising concerns and making sure our community has a voice. We've been working with the council and the SNT to address the issue of people experiencing homelessness using the park as a campsite over the summer. We know that change takes time. We'll keep asking questions, following things up and working with the council to make Collingwood Rec a safer and more enjoyable space for everyone.
Now we need your help to build on this progress. If you use Collingwood Rec, have ideas for its future or would like to support local improvements, please get involved. Share your views, report issues, volunteer your time and encourage neighbours to join the conversation. Together, we can keep the momentum going and help make sure Collingwood Rec reflects the needs of the whole community.
Here's to our first year and many more to come!
Thank you for being part of it.
