News release 21 August 2008

You could be a movie star when you take part in some fun free activities at Eureka Park on Thursday 21 August, 2008 from 10 in the morning until 8 at night.

Zoe Sewter of South Derbyshire District Council and a team from Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire are filming “A Day in the Life of Eureka Park”. Zoe is leading the consultation on the work which could take place in the park. The film will go with a Lottery application to help fund refurbishment work which will be carried out in Eureka Park.

At 10.30 am Cllr John Lemmon, Chairman of the Housing and Community Services Committee of South Derbyshire District Council will be meeting Don Sutton, a Friend of Eureka Park, who is leading a one hour heritage walk where people can learn more about the fascinating history of Eureka Park.

Says Cllr John Lemmon, “The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Parks for People’ programme and the Council is carrying out the work on it in partnership with Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire and the Friends of Eureka Park. In our Annual Report we show how successful the Council has been working with our partners including the Big Lottery which provided £200,000 for play activities in South Derbyshire. To find out more about our partnership working, please look at www.south-derbyshire/annualreport or write to the Civic Offices to ask for a copy of the Annual Report.

“We will be filming from dawn until dusk, to show how the park is currently used, who uses it and also to ask local people about the proposals for improvements. There will be a mixture of everyday activities such as dog walking, children playing, a bowls match as well as film of the free programme of events and activities.”

From 10 am until noon, people can take part in environmental activities such as making bug and bird boxes and get involved in a treasure hunt or they could join Don Sutton for the Heritage Walk. In the afternoon, from noon until 5 pm, there’s Art in the Park where you can have a go at pottery, willow weaving, jewellery making and even being a DJ. Then in the evening from 7 pm until 8 pm there’s live music with the local band “Senseless” performing covers of great songs, as well as some of their own material.

Cllr Lemmon continues, “We really want to know people’s opinions about future plans for Eureka Park. On 25 May we were in the park showing local people some of the possibilities for future work including developing the performance area, working around the cascade in the park, creating a trim trail and improving the existing bowling greens, tennis courts and crazy golf course. We have taken an exhibition to Swadlincote Library and now we are back again in Eureka Park, finding out what people want. In South Derbyshire, on so many issues, it’s “You say, we do”. Consultation isn’t a cosmetic exercise, we want to act on people’s ideas and opinions.”