KINGTON
REPORT 2007/8
One of the many advantages of living in our lovely village is the inclusion in the amenities of a green field area specifically made available in trust to all villagers and inhabitants of the neighbourhood for the purposes of games and recreation.
The land was donated to the Parish by
reason of a Trust Deed dated
The aims and objectives of the donor are set out in the Trust Deed as follows:
“To provide for the use of the inhabitants of Kington
Langley and the neighbourhood without distinction of sex or of political,
religious or other opinions the facilities of a playing field for the purposes
of games and recreation.”
The Parish Council who were designated custodians of that Trust delegated the administration of the playing fields to the Kington Langley Playing Fields Association (KLPFA) who have carried out that function ever since. The current members of the KLPFA Committee are the trustees for the present and are responsible to the community to ensure that the original aims and objectives continue to be honoured.
It is to this end that I wish to bring to the notice of all villagers the current thinking of the Committee of the KLPFA as to the ‘Way Forward’ and invite comments and suggestions in order that we ensure the continuing support of villagers for our efforts.
Whatever the project, financial resources have to be balanced against priorities and the KLPFA is no exception.
Children’s
Play Area:
The Committee have established that the facility most used by villagers is the children’s play area, which includes the fenced-in area of sand and equipment used by mothers and toddlers and also the general play area used by older children, which includes swings, climbing frames and the ever popular aerial run-way. This area is at present surfaced with wood-chip. The last time that the wood-chip was renewed was over three years ago. The surface is in urgent need of replacement. The sanded area is in constant need of weeding and also requires attention. We have received a number of comments from parents of toddlers that the sand is unhygienic and that a rubberised surface would be preferable. The wood-chip used in the older children’s area tends to splinter, gets overgrown with weeds and when broken glass becomes mixed with it (whether intentionally or otherwise) it is extremely difficult to remove and make safe. The Committee feels that a rubberised surface would be preferable in place of the wood-chip and sand in order to alleviate these problems.
We are in the process of obtaining estimates from competent suppliers for rubberised re-surfacing of the areas referred to above. The cost will inevitably be more than our presently available financial resource, but with the help of grants and fund-raising activities we hope to raise sufficient money to carry out these urgent refurbishments.
We see this project as a priority and the proceeds of the Ceilidh planned for the Saturday of the Scarecrow Weekend on 17th May will be the first of a number of fund-raising events organised for this purpose. If rubberised re-surfacing is too expensive other alternatives will be considered.
Football:
The large football pitch is used regularly during the season by Chippenham West FC, most of whose members live outside of the village, but support our fund-raising efforts by attending Race Nights and our annual Ceilidh. Their match fees cover the cleaning and upkeep of the pavilion throughout the winter period and make up a substantial proportion of our regular income. I know that they would welcome players from the village to augment their membership – any volunteers?!
The small football pitch is used throughout the year by the school for PE generally and other games. We welcome their use of this facility and in the summer the school finances the grass cutting for the whole of the playing field area. Our support for the school is written into the Deed of Trust under which we operate.
Cricket:
Unfortunately over the last two years the cricket team has ceased playing on our playing field for whatever reason. As far as we can judge from our enquiries there appears to be little interest, at the moment, within the village regarding the formation of a local team.
The upkeep of the cricket square is time-consuming and hard work. The KLPFA cannot afford to employ a part-time groundsman to take the place of the dedicated work done previously by George Baker and Maurice Hawkins who for years tended the cricket square as members of the village Cricket Club in their own time and for no reward. If cricket is to continue to be played on our playing field a village team has to be reformed primarily from within the village and some of the members must be willing to upkeep and prepare the square for matches. The KLPFA will provide a motorised roller and lawn-mower for this purpose.
Tennis:
We have a single tennis court which is used by the village Tennis Club who are looking for new members from the village. The court will need re-surfacing in the new few years and the Tennis Club Committee hopes to be able to apply for various grants and other forms of funding for the purpose. However, unless membership numbers are increased such applications are unlikely to succeed.
Those villagers who are interested in joining the Kington Langley Tennis Club should contact Sheila Prentice on 758898 or Sandy Burton on 758165.
The KLPFA supports wholeheartedly these efforts to increase membership and to raise funds.
Croquet:
The Kington Langley Croquet Club is both thriving and successful in open competition. Last season they won the “Secretary’s Cup” for the second time in four years (which is the equivalent in football terms of the FA Cup). Some achievement for a village team. Well done!
The Croquet Club have asked the KLPFA if it would be possible to re-arrange the Playing Field facilities without prejudice to any other users so that the present half size lawn could be increased to full size dimensions. This would allow the Club to host teams competing in the National Federation Cup and also allow more village members to take part in the sport.
The Committee are in the process of consulting with all the users of the facilities, especially the footballers, to ascertain whether the large football pitch could be marked out thirteen yards closer to the southern boundary of the playing fields, thereby making space for the enlarged lawn. It has also been suggested that the large football pitch could be marked out at ninety degrees to its present position leaving plenty of space for the enlarged lawn and even a second tennis court if funds were available.
However, this second option would be at the expense of a dedicated cricket square.
The Committee has not yet decided on which course of action to take. Your views would be welcome.
Village
Hall:
We work closely with the Village Hall Committee to ensure coordination of our respective activities. We are at present in discussion concerning laying the same kind of grass reinforcement in front of the pavilion and the existing tarmac parking area of the playing field as used by the Parish Council on the Common, so as to allow extra parking on the field when required and authorised by the KLPFA. As will be seen on the Common, the grass soon grows through the supporting plasticised mesh so that the outlook is not affected.
The KLPFA advertise with the Village Hall on the village website in order to increase our income by hiring out the fields for events run by local organisations, mainly during the summer months. In recent years we have hosted camping weekends for caravan clubs, folk-dance societies, tug-of-war competitions and children’s garden parties. We will continue to pitch for these types of events, always taking account of the effect of such occasional visitors on the village environment. The fees we charge for these events are a much needed augmentation to our annual income and are welcome.
Sports
Pavilion:
The sports pavilion and changing rooms are over thirty years old and require constant upkeep and refurbishment due to the natural ravages of time and sometimes, unfortunately, thoughtless vandalism. We have considered that the pavilion will need either a very expensive facelift or complete replacement in the future. However, enquiries we have made regarding planning matters, design and costs leave us no alternative for the time being but to put that project on the back-burner until we have dealt with the more immediate matters outlined earlier in this report.
Any such major project would not be undertaken without discussion and liaison with the Parish Council, whose authority would be required, and the Village Hall Committee with whom we always work closely.
Finances
and Accounts:
A copy of the most recent Audited Accounts is submitted with this report. At present we have a balance of £3,660.25.
I hope that this report helps all villagers to understand the current thinking and future intentions of the KLPFA, acting on their behalf, to ensure that the objectives set out in the original Trust Deed are being achieved and updated to satisfy current needs.
Brian Boyce, Chairman
Kington Langley Playing Fields Association