A great day out for all the family on Saturday 9th September from 12 midday to 5pm.
Countryside Agency Archive

Breadcrumbs

Community celebration for Fair Field Green, Hacheston, Suffolk - 08 September 2006

An event marking the culmination of three years' work by the people of Hacheston to acquire, design and create their own public open space will take place on Saturday, 9th September. It will be a great day out with plenty to do for all the family when the Fair Field Doorstep Green hosts its launch celebration place from 12 midday to 5 pm.

The Green will be officially opened at 2.00 p.m.by Peter Purves, a local personality famous for his work on Blue Peter. Geoff Woodard, Chair of the Steering Group, will also introduce Peter Fane, Deputy Chair of the Countryside Agency. Other attractions include displays by the Felixstowe Majorettes and the Eastern Morris Men, a Punch and Judy Show, bouncy castle, circus skills, balloon sculpturing and face painting - all of the activities will be free.

Before the Doorstep Green there was no public open space available and no safe place for children to play. Lynda Foster, Doorstep Green Advisor for the Countryside Agency says: “The hard work and commitment of the community has created a quality recreational greenspace and conservation area for the villagers of Hacheston and the wider community. I have been amazed at how many people use and enjoy the Green.  People bring their picnics from other areas to enjoy the picnic and play areas.  There has also been little evidence of vandalism, litter or dog fouling and I think this is due to the strong community involvement and ownership.”

The Green has created a meeting place for villagers of all ages with picnic tables, a play area for children, space for ball games and other activities, including a zip slide. The design is sympathetic to the rural environment and a circular path has seating to enjoy the views over the Deben Valley.  Local wildlife has benefited from the native tree and shrub planting and the sowing of wildflower areas. It will be a focus for village activities in the future and this year's Hacheston Rose Festival has already made use of the site.

The Hacheston Doorstep Green Steering Group and Village Hall Committee successfully bid for £53,000 from the Countryside Agency to purchase a 99-year lease on 2.2 hectare field on the edge of the village and to make the necessary improvements. 

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For further information please contact Nuala Murray, Countryside Agency Press Office, Tel: 01242 533 398.
Notes to Editors

  1. Hacheston is a small rural village near Woodbridge in east Suffolk with a busy main road running through it.  The Green will be officially known as Fair Field Green to reflect the historical previous use of the site in the 18th and 19th centuries.  There are plans to build a new village hall on land adjacent to the Green.
  2. In September 2000 the Big Lottery Fund appointed the Countryside Agency as an Award partner to distribute grants through its Doorstep Greens scheme. The Doorstep Greens initiative closed to new applicants in April 2003. More information about Doorstep Greens is on the web at www.countryside.gov.uk/doorstepgreens/
  3. Nationally, Doorstep Greens has helped create nearly 200 Doorstep Greens, most of which are in deprived communities. In targeting disadvantaged communities the initiative managed to achieve 80% of Doorstep Greens in 50% of the most deprived English wards. The Countryside Agency's own independent research concluded that: The engagement of local people in Doorstep Greens has been very meaningful. projects have nearly all been led by the community which has retained a dominant role in the planning, development and implementation of Doorstep Greens. Doorstep Green projects have themselves been successful in securing £15 million from a variety of local, regional and national sources  to help create and maintain their green.
  4. Big Lottery Fund is the joint operating name of the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board (which made grants under the name of the Community Fund). The Big Lottery Fund, launched on 1st June 2004, is distributing half of all National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. Details of the Big Lottery Fund’s programmes and grant awards are available at: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk .
  5. The Countryside Agency is currently in the process of change as it helps translate the Government’s new rural strategy, announced by the Secretary of State in July 2004, into action. Our landscape, access and recreation teams (including Doorstep Greens) are working with our partners, English Nature and the Rural Development Service, bringing together our activities to improve services for customers and contribute to sustainable development as we move towards Natural England, a new integrated agency, which will formally come into existence on 2nd October 2006.