Much-loved park gets spectacular makeover after being targeted by vandals
Dolly Parton and Dr Seuss now feature on the benches instead of swear words
A vandalised and neglected community park in Brandwood has been transformed into a colourful open space by locals - with some help from a giant octopus and some inspiring words from Dolly Parton. Dawberry Fields Park is a vast green space in a residential area which became a lifeline for people living nearby during the pandemic.
A skatepark was opened there in 2010, providing a place for skateboarders to practice the sport for free but over the past decade it has unfortunately faced antisocial behaviour and explicit graffitti, putting families off. A bright splash of paint and a bit of care has changed all that thanks to a local artist and a group of passionate advocates - the group Friends of Dawberry Fields Park.
Painter Tom Perrott from the group For Them Hand-Painted has adorned the skatebowl with a deep blue ocean mural featuring giant pink octopus tentacles. He has also adorned the benches with inspiring quotes by creative visionaries from Dolly Parton to Dr Seuss.
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'"If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours" - Dolly Parton', reads one. Another quotes Roald Dahl's The Twits : “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams, and you will always look lovely.”
Mr Perrott said: "Me and my family often use Dawberry Fields to get out and about, we used to talk about why the skate bowl was rarely used and benches looked so distressed. I approached the park rangers and asked if I could paint the bowl to brighten the park up and maybe get kids playing in there, after some time and meeting some fantastic people we managed to get the ball rolling.
"We painted the park over the summer and the response from the community has been overwhelming and so positive, we have had so many people from all ages thanking us for the hard work and making the park a better place. Seeing people use the skatebowl daily has really made me feel we have achieved a great target."
Local group Friends of Dawberry Park wanted to change the perception of the space to be somewhere families could enjoy by clearing up some of the mess through litter picks. They also acquired a Birmingham City Council grant, and with the help of Community Interest Company (CIC) Our Scene, held a community fun day in July.
Suze Carter, CEO of Our Scene, said: "The park's Friends group, along with community organisations like ours are so committed to making our park a 'neighbourhood' park again after covid. The benches are already working their magic by lifting spirits.
"The artist is a local resident who came asking the Friends if he could cheer up the skate bowl to make a difference in his children's lives. So many more people will get to experience the park on a new way too thanks to his work, and the funding to support it.
"There is more positivity in the park; hopefully the benches will support people's wellbeing as well as making the park more attractive and welcoming." Twelve families joined MP Steve McCabe and local councillor David Barker (Lab, Brandwood and Kings Heath) to celebrate on Friday September 22.
Of the skate bowl, one attendee said: "It does it look beautiful, a lot of hard work went into that, it had naughty words in it before and broken glass, it was sad." Another added: "I love the skate bowl, it's awesome, I saw it the other day collecting the girls from school and I was Oh My God it looks much better really good, it's better without all the graffiti on it."
Commenting on the park in general, another attendee said: "The new benches really add a lovely touch to the park, they are a great way to add a positive vibe to our walks! It makes the park more heart-warming, welcoming, and makes us feel like spending more time here."