Friends of Preston Park

Preston Park have once again done very well in the South & South East in Bloom (SSEiB) competition results for 2025. Friends of Preston Park (FoPP) entered the Rose Garden in the In Your Neighbourhood category and the Rockery in the Small Parks category.  

This is the second year of entry for the Rose Garden and the hard work of all the volunteers, CityParks workers, gardeners and rangers, paid off with a successful jump from Level 4 to Level 5. This is classed as Outstanding, and we couldn’t be prouder! Volunteers Chris Such and Anne Halifax went along to collect our precious award. 

Meanwhile, the Rockery has had success in this competition before, but with a significant break, it is amazing news to notify residents that the garden was awarded Silver Gilt in what is a stiff competition. Gardener Andy Jeavons and Hugh Johnson, a dedicated volunteer, were on hand to proudly receive the new award.

 Additionally, the Stanford and Cleveland Community Garden, based on the corner of Cleveland Road was also presented a Level 5 (Outstanding) award for their fantastic community garden, also maintained by volunteers. Debbie Pryor and Sue Lacey , who also volunteers in the Preston Park Rose Garden, received their award.

The SSEiB awards ceremony was held in the Garden Room at RHS Gardens Wisley and was a fantastic opportunity for those attending to admire the beauty and passion of the wonderful gardens there. 

We encourage all our members and residents to take a visit and see what you think of all the vital hard work to keep these much-loved green urban spaces within our city looking so good. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or a member should contact FoPP via our website. 

The pond outside the Rotunda Café will be undergoing some essential maintenance. This will include rendering the base to stop water leaking out, clearing out vegetation, reinstating the brick floral beds & re-planting the vegetation. For the work to be completed the water supply will be switched off to allow the water level to drop down. All the removed vegetation will be stored on site to allow any amphibian life to move on safely into alternative winter habitats. The timing of this operation has been carefully considered in conjunction with ecologists and CityParks. It is hoped that all work will be complete before our amphibian friends begin their return to the pond. If you have further questions, please contact us through the FoPP website. Thank you.

Ex FoPP Chair, Sue Shepherd came along to Preston Park last week to meet many new and old residents, eager to hear what Sue knows about Preston Park before it even became the park we know and love! Did you know it was once called Brighton Park?

Starting off at the Rotunda Café Sue explained why the area became such a key and sort out place that people wanted to live in – it had a vital water source and was thought a good place to grow food.

Following on from amongst others, the Saxons, the Romans also made an appearance, but it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that the land that we now recognise, became more apparent. Walking around the park using old drawings, photos and even posters to re-imagine the people of old was very entertaining. Tales of chewing gum, polo ponies and tanks mingled with park refurbishment and women’s toilets show the diversity of the walk. Sue has quite a way of delivering this information and we hope everyone who came enjoyed themselves.

For anyone who missed it, we hope that Sue will return next year for another re-run. .The FoPP only have two more events this year, one of which is our wreathmaking on Saturday, 6 December. Please pay via our website and choose a slot to attend.

On Saturday, 13 December we have Candlelight Christmas Carols outside the Rotunda Café. Please sign up and a proportion of this money will be donated to a local charity.

Date and time: Friday 17 November at 5pm

Location: Knoyle Hall, BN16RB

Brighton & Hove City Council would like to hear your constructive feedback on events held in outdoor public spaces. Residents are welcome to join an open conversation about what the community would and wouldn’t like to see, and how events can work in harmony with the local area. This meeting continues discussions from previous sessions and provides another opportunity for people to share feedback, ideas, suggestions, or concerns.

Review & feedback from past events

• Pride in the Park (2 & 3 August)
• Magic of Thailand (16-17 August)

Upcoming events

• Coles fireworks (2 November)

New Outdoor Events Strategy

Q&As

Any other business

The Wild Flower Conservation Society in Stanmer Park are having a Wildflower Plant Sale on Sunday 12th October from 11am – 3pm.Now is a great time to plant wild flowers – the soil is still warm and it will give the plants a head-start for Spring 2026!They have a wide selection of plants for £2 each and limited supplies of yellow rattle seed which is only £2 for 1,000 seeds.

In September, twenty-four Brighton College students from Year 8 to L6 helped the regular volunteers in the Rose Garden. The students weeded, cut back ivy and cleared the paths diligently, scraping the stones, pulling weeds and brushing the walkways with large brooms. Their involvement and hard work were all the more appreciated as the tasks in the Rose Garden are numerous. It is not the first time students from the prestigious establishment have given a helping hand and we are always delighted to spend a few hours working alongside such a kind and pleasant group of young people. We are hopeful they will come again soon. Any other school interested in helping us out should get in contact via the website. 

It has been a busy summer and you can read our news are on the website www.friendsofprestonpark.org.Our next walk in Preston Park will be the History Walk on Sunday 5th October, 14.30-16.00 with Sue Shepherd. Starting at the Rotunda Café. Anyone interested in coming along to hear more about the history of the park can sign and pay on the FoPP website: http://friendsofprestonpark.org Please note that although the walk is around the park, the land is not level and may be of some concern for wheelchair users.

Our very popular wreath making event takes place on Saturday 6th December, 9.00 to 15.00. To secure a place please sign and pay on the FoPP website: http://friendsofprestonpark.org. The day is divided in 45 minute slots to accommodate everyone so make sure you indicate which session you would like to do.

We are delighted to see that the Book Box in the Rose Garden is very much used by hundreds of visitors each week, but due to repeated acts of vandalism there are plans to move the book box inside the Rotunda Cafe, where it will be safe.

On a beautiful summers day, Alister Peters took 26 people on a tree walk around Preston Park. We started at the Rotunda by the largest Elm tree in the park and ended at the northern end of the park by Preston manor by the oldest Elm tree in the country. Alister knows the trees in the park well having worked for many years for Connick. This invaluable local knowledge made the tour absolutely fascinating. I had no idea just how many varieties of Elm there were and how different they all are.
Alister also gave the walkers some sage advice about selecting a tree for one’s own garden. 
FoPP would like to thank Alister for sharing his knowledge and making the tour so interesting. 
I would unhesitatingly go on the tour again and would highly recommend it to anyone else. 
Sarah Mackenzie