Park life: How a volunteer army helped make our green spaces the best in Scotland

The unsung heroes keeping Edinburgh's green spaces beautiful

Volunteers litter picking on Calton Hill. Pic: Calton Hill Conservation Trust

“The park has never looked this good and we are very proud of what we have managed to achieve.”

Spending time in Montgomery Street Park is far more appealing these days for Simon Preston and his neighbours. The city centre park has always been a welcome green space tucked behind the tenements off London Road and Easter Road.

An air of neglect had appeared to hang over the small park in recent years. A lot of the equipment in its playground, which should have been a magnet for local families, was rusting and rotten. A low point came three years ago when the helter skelter slide, the park’s best-loved landmark, was condemned as unsafe by the council and fenced off for safety reasons.

What might have been a depressing symbol of the park’s decline, however, was instead the focal point of a residents’ campaign. By then, the Friends of Montgomery Park had become well established, and the driving force behind various improvements. The group galvanised efforts to ensure the fencing didn’t become a long term feature of the park’s life.

Simon Preston, vice-chair of Friends of Montgomery Street Park (FoMSP), says harnessing the efforts of volunteers has been crucial in improving the popular and well-used space.

A large new set of steps has been installed, connecting the previously separate two areas of the park, and doubling up as a seating area. There’s a basketball court too. The equipment in the children’s playpark area has also just been replaced, with everything from trampolines to swings and a climbing frame with chute.

“It’s a small group and sometimes our ambition outstrips our abilities, but the park is very important to the local community and we hope to help even more people to use it,” says Simon.

“Things are very different than they were about 20 years ago. People now have much more ownership of their green spaces and a bigger say in what happens to them.

“The council is very encouraging to Friends groups, understanding the benefits of harnessing a local workforce and fundraising activities.”

Bulbs provide a splash of colour in Montgomery Street Park and its upgraded play area

It isn’t all plain sailing. Despite its undoubted achievements, Simon admits the efforts of FoMSP, which has around 50 members, have not always been met with universal approval.

“We are constituted, we hold elections and meetings where everyone is welcome to give their views – it’s democratic.

“We can’t please everyone, but we must always listen. We don’t have a mandate or more right than anyone else to decide what happens in the park, but I think what FoMSP does is really positive.”

It’s greatest achievement is perhaps that it has changed the way local residents view their park.