Volunteering in Hanley Park

Thursday 1st February, I joined in with a group of volunteers of students from Regents College in Hanley park to observe, explore and experience the events in the park. We met in the old bowling Pavilion, then went to collect the tools we needed and then we started pulling weeds from the soil and picking up sticks around and on the bowling green area. Then after some tea, we put out some bread for the birds around the nature reserve. It was lovely to meet everyone and to help in tidying the park. Before I took any photos, I had to be careful which not getting any front faces of the volunteers in them. I only had permission to take them from behind, which was a little tricky, but able to do.
This is opposition of what was happening there before, in the park's history. Claire told me that that was the place where drug dealers are known to have done their dealings and now what the volunteers are doing now is part of the restoration to forget those negative memories of the park. I felt like it was working because the nice atmosphere of friendly people come together in restoring the park voluntarily.

I was nervous in meeting the team at first but afterwards I felt more friendlier with them. It was peaceful watching them work together to make the park a better place, despite the cold slightly cold weather. As I walked in the park, that day, I noticed lots of seeds planted by the path had sprouted into snowdrops, which the volunteers had planted before. I like the activities they do that I've seen so far. I hope to go back for a visit in the next weeks and see more, if I can. I hadn't had any experience with disabled students before, which was a challenge.
Today, I met another lady in the park named Carole, who told me that there is an indoor space for me to use for my exhibition, which was a relief, because I was told I could have 2 gazebos for outside, but the concern for that was the weather. An indoor space would be more better for my artworks. I'll need to book a date for this indoor space.

That Thursday was also the last day of the park keeper Tom Pine before he left for somewhere new. I took one last picture of him before I left as a memoir.