Students look after new public park

Local students are keeping a new park spick-and-span as part of a community initiative.

The novel neighbourhood programme sees foundation learning students from MidKent College’s Medway Campus conducting litter-picks, clearing leaves and checking for vandalism at the recently-opened Lower Lines Park in Gillingham.

“We’re extremely grateful to the students for helping us to keep the park looking its very best,” said the college’s maintenance team leader who also doubles as park warden, Kev Woolford. “They’ve been conducting weekly clear-ups since the start of February,” he continued. “The benefits are two-fold – the park stays looking great and the students get some brilliant experience to fit in with the horticultural unit they complete as part of their college programme.”
 
As well as offering students at the college an opportunity to get involved in the up-keep of the 5.5 hectare public park, the freshly-launched, keep-clean initiative looks set to engage those within the local community. “Soon we’ll also be receiving support from High Hopes, the Sunlight Centre’s community gardening group, as well as other groups working in and around Gillingham,” explained Mr Woolford.

The Lower Lines Park is a picturesque wooded space set against the historic backdrop of the Lower Lines which includes a children’s adventure playground.

Designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, the Lower Lines comprise a series of fortifications and brick trenches constructed from 1803 onwards to help defend Chatham Dockyard from attack during the Napoleonic wars. Construction of the Lower Lines Park has seen 5.5 hectares of the open land linked to the Lines - and next to MidKent College’s Medway Campus - revitalised thanks to college funding. The picturesque community space now features a moat, woodlands and a large grassy plateau for local residents and visitors of the park to enjoy.