March 16, 2016

Bid to run cafe

from the EDP, 15 March

north lodge park macmillan 2015 Cromer’s Friends of North Lodge Park are crossing their fingers that they will be picked to run the café they have revived and made successful.

Their bid comes at a critical time for the much-loved park, owned by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) which is trying to attract a partner willing to invest in its attractions and facilities after a long period of stagnation.

The Friends believe a trust, in which it is a partner, should be formed to run the park.

Friends’ volunteers re-opened the café, rent-free, with NNDC’s blessing eight months ago. The council has been paying the business rates.

It attracts loyal regulars from the town and further afield, according to Friends’ secretary Barry Meadows.

Now NNDC is advertising for someone to operate it commercially, and pay £3,500 rent for a year from April 1.

“It’s been amazing,” said Mr Meadows. “The community is so grateful and supportive. The café is our focus. It’s where we meet the community and find out what’s going on. If we didn’t have that focus, it would make it much more difficult for us.”

The Friends will hold their annual meeting next week, on Wednesday March 23 at 7.30pm in Cromer Community Hall, Garden Street, when responses to their latest survey will be discussed. They are due to be published on March 18.

Mr Meadows said 364 people had answered a questionnaire asking for their views on suggested ways ahead for the park.

“The message coming across is that the community wants a park which is well maintained; a safe community place, with flowers and lawns – a special place of heritage and memories,” he added.

Respondents were divided over NNDC proposals to convert the former children’s play area into a 55-space pay-and-display car park.

“At the moment we are in limbo, and a bit frustrated,” said Mr Meadows.

“We need the café licence for another year and more information about the car park and the Prior Information Notice (NNDC’s advertisement for a partner to invest in the park).”

The Friends had earmarked money from the café for improvement projects which might include restoring the thatched collectors’ cabins by the sunken garden.

read full story…

February 26, 2016

The Park tale with more twists and turns than a twisty-turny thing

Tea for two.

This week North Norfolk District Council has advertised a tender for running the cafe in North Lodge Park for 12 months from April 1st.

We are disappointed with the timing of this announcement and are currently discussing the way forward. The Friends have been invited to submit a tender and we will be discussing various options before making any decisions

Apologies if this means a delay in publishing our report on your feedback to the ideas for the Park, the report will be out in time for the AGM on 23rd March.

Hope to see many of you in the cafe soon

Barry Meadows
Trainee bid writer

February 2, 2016

What’s in a budget?

north lodge park

The analysis begins.

Over 350 of you took the time to give us feedback on the ideas we produced in response to a request by NNDC. We’ve now got the enviable task of turning the gear wheels to analyse the results: from the 9 of you who were completely against everything to the 22 who were completely for everything, and the 160 of you who added extra comments. If you don’t see us for a while you know what we’re doing!.

The budget box

north lodge park cromer Most budget statements aren’t as dramatic as those produced by the Chancellor, but they still give indications on thinking, intentions and plans. When NNDC published their budget on Friday (for discussion at next week’s cabinet meeting) there were a couple of pointers of interest.

In the capital spend for 2016/17 there is £121,000 for the development of a 55 space car park on the concrete area in North Lodge Park, subject to a Car Park Order which will involve a full public consultation,
In the supporting description, NNDC announced their intention to issue a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to try and attract a partner who will be prepared to invest in the park and its facilities and attractions.

In our meetings with NNDC about the future of North Lodge Park we have always made it clear that we think the development and maintenance of the Park should be considered as a whole. This remains our position: we find it difficult to consider whether or not there should be a car park in North Lodge Park without seeing the bigger picture. Yes, there are some arguments that would support the case for enabling some parking – particularly disabled parking – in North Lodge Park (and equally strong arguments against) but without the context of knowing what else is planned, for us the debate is not complete.

Over the coming weeks we will be meeting with NNDC to try to find out more about their plans and will keep you updated. If you hear any details please let us know so we can develop a complete picture for any discussion we have.

Unfortunately…

Cromer isn’t immune to acts of vandalism, and I’m sorry to report that recently North Lodge Park has seen a couple of incidents: in December there was some graffiti in the Park and around the Doctor’s Steps, and last weekend some of the garden furniture in the Rose Garden and the A frame (made for us by Matt Annison) was ruined overnight.

Annual General Meeting

Don’t forget the AGM for the Friends of North Lodge Park will be on Wednesday 23rd March at 7.30pm in the Community Hall.

We expect this year to be an exciting one in the Park and we need your help to make it happen. The Friends are only as strong as you make it with your support – and as we go into the new year we would like to add to the committee to help with the tasks we need to work on this year.

If you have the time, energy, skills and passion for the Park (is that all of you?) please come along and help. Pop into the cafe (we will need more help in the cafe as summer approaches) and talk to one of the committee about how you can get involved.

Hope to see you soon.

Barry Meadows
Secretary to chief cook and bottle washer,
Friends of North Lodge Park

January 27, 2016

EDP Community chest

EDP Community Chest Every month during 2016 the Eastern Daily Press in association with the Norfolk Community Foundation will be donating up to £2,500 to charities across Norfolk.

Please help us to be one of those charities to win cash, by cutting out and collecting your tokens each month and bring them into the cafe.

We need to collect 500 tokens in a month to be in with a chance of winning the cash. Any month we don’t get the required number we’ll work with other local causes to help them reach the goal.

Thank you.

January 19, 2016

Happy New Park

The only way is UP!

This time last year when we were about to formally launch the Friends of North Lodge Park we couldn’t have predicted what a roller-coaster year of ups and downs it would be. The committee you elected in March has tried to steer the difficult path through the challenges, keeping the future of the Park central to our agenda. It is your continued support in all forms (volunteering, donations, messages, hugs, etc) that help us through the low points and we hope you have enjoyed the highs points with us. The year ended on a high when NNDC offered us a 12 month extension to the licence for the cafe.The 747 of you who responded to our survey in the Spring gave us a strong steer how you want the Park to develop (no mention of roller-coasters!) and we hope we have reflected this in the ideas we put to you in early December – you have until the end of January to comment on these ideas .

North Lodge Park proposed play area The proposals are very much ideas and not a ’blue print’ as claimed by the press! After our consultation closes, we need to work with the North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), who own the Park, as closely as possible to see how the ideas you support fit with their plans. The Friends can only advise and we expect there will be some compromise to get the best overall plan for everyone.

We know that council budgets are being cut drastically so do not expect NNDC to finance the improvements we would like. Whilst fund-raising isn’t the main purpose of the cafe (it’s to provide a friendly meeting point for the community and visitors, thereby bringing life back into the Park), any money raised is a starting fund for the changes. Unless we find a rich benefactor willing to invest in the Park we know only a fraction of the ideas will come to fruition, and the timescales for implementation will be set by our ability to raise the necessary funds. That’s reality (more hugs needed!). This is an exciting opportunity for us all to work together and create not just a better park but a better community.

EDP Community Chest
We have a box in the cafe to collect the tokens for the EDP Community Chest. Please cut out the coupons and bring them to the cafe. If we collect 500 in a month we can apply for a grant to do work in the Park.

AGM for the Friends of North Lodge Park
WEDNESDAY 23rd MARCH AT 7.30

As well as the normal agenda items necessary for an AGM we will be looking at the potential plans that come from your input into the published ideas, and how we can put these into place – please come along and join the discussion.The committee needs more active members to help manage the Park and the plans. Please don’t step back – if you are interested, have the time, energy and ideas come and talk to us; as you know, members of the committee are often in the cafe and always willing to take off their aprons to speak to you.

Last year Budgens of Cromer chose us as the local group to donate the money they raised from the sale of second hand books, and I am pleased to say that this has enabled us to purchase 5 picnic tables for the Park. Cromer Trophies have very kindly donated plaques for the tables and all being well the tables will be installed in time for the spring picnic season!

Cafe Co-ordinator
Following the request in the last newsletter a number of you expressed interest in applying for the role of Cafe Co-ordinator. We have spoken to all the candidates and decided to appoint Lizzie Knight to the position, with a review before we go into the new licence in April. I hope you will join me in wishing her all the best in the role.

We were saddened to hear from the family of Sheila Millet that she had passed away in December. The family have asked that all donations made in her memory be given to the Friends of North Lodge Park. Sheila had a great attachment to the Park and her family feel it is fitting that donations be made in her memory to the place she loved so much. This is a wonderful sentiment and we would like to say thank you for this kindness and also to pass on our best wishes to her family at this sad time.

Here’s to a positive year in your Park at the heart of Cromer

December 21, 2015

December in North Lodge Park

Christmas in the cafe.

On behalf of all the team I’d like to wish you all a jolly Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

To give all our volunteer helpers and bakers time with family and friends the cafe will be closed over the festive period from Christmas eve with the exception of Boxing day, reopening on 1st January. Therefore, over the festive period the opening hours for the cafe will be:

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: closed
Boxing Day: 10-14 (don’t forget the swim at 11)
Sunday 27th to 31st: closed
Friday 1st January: 10-18 (fireworks at 17.00)
Saturday 2nd January back to normal.

Time for a cafe co-ordinator

In our discussions with the District Council over the future for the Park they have floated the idea of extending our licence for a further 12 months to March 2017. This is really encouraging, but we feel we cannot expect those volunteers who took on the responsibility of setting up and running the café at such short notice to keep smiling whilst putting in quite so many hours on an open-ended basis.

With your help, we want to ensure the café continues to play its part in the community of Cromer and would like to use this opportunity to develop the role of a paid café co-ordinator for the remainder of our current term. We would do this without changing the way the café operates. With the support of the café management team, the café coordinator will build on the success of the special character you have helped create in the café.

We want to be flexible in our appointment, but would expect the position (which could be a job share) to be 20-25 hours a week, including several sessions running the café and taking on the ‘behind the scenes’ work of organising the volunteers and stock management. For the right person this could extend into a further (at least) 12 month opportunity.
Before we advertise this position wider, we wanted you all to know about this change, and to give you the opportunity to come forward for the position. If you want to know more details please get in touch cafe@northlodgepark.org.uk, or pop into the cafe and speak to one of the team.

Children’s Play Area

In anticipation of the survey confirming our thinking that the children’s play area will still be your top priority, we will be setting up a working group in the new year to develop and implement a plan for this project so we can have something in place for next summer.

To widen the involvement of the community, to make sure we have the right people on the project and to make sure we are working on the right project we want your help. If you have the skills, ideas and time to actively help with the project please let us know. There will be lots to do: defining what we want, drawing up specifications, talking to suppliers, fund raising and lots of practice drinking coffee in the cafe (there has to be some reward for all that hard work!). There will be a project kick-off meeting the first week in January.

We’re keeping the survey open to the end of January to give you the opportunity to discuss with your family and friends over the Christmas dinner, As well as completing the survey, if you have ideas and thoughts do send them to us, either by email, post, or fill in the ideas book in the cafe.

Hope to see you soon
Barry Meadows

December 4, 2015

Norman Lamb thanks volunteers at North Lodge Park

The icing on the cake!

Norman Lamb thanks volunteers at North Lodge Park Responding to the community, North Norfolk District Council has awarded a second 4 month licence to the Friends of North Lodge Park to enable the café to stay open through the winter. “Since we opened in August the community has been great – helping in the café, baking cakes and as customers”, Emma Dale, vice-chair of the Friends said, “so when Norman Lamb said he would come to support us, we thought it was an opportunity to get the volunteers together to celebrate the extension to our licence.”

“The way the community has responded to the drawn out saga in North Lodge Park shows what can be achieved when all parties have a common goal,” said Norman Lamb, “I really hope the Friends group can build on their success in the café, and the district council recognises what an asset the Park and this community are to North Norfolk.”
The café was packed with volunteers on Friday afternoon to welcome Norman Lamb to Cromer, “These home made cakes are much better than those served in the House of Commons”, Norman said between mouthfuls of carrot cake, “and the quality of the coffee is superb – the rumours about it being the best in Cromer are spot on”.

Lizzie Knight, who made the carrot cake, said “It’s a real honour to be able to cook cakes for the café, but to have such praise from Norman really is the icing on the cake!”

The Friends have just published proposals for the development of the Park, with a questionnaire to give the community a chance to comment on the proposals. “If these proposals get the green light North Lodge Park could once again bring life to Cromer, showing it can be a park for all ages”, said Norman. “I will be watching closely how these plans develop over the coming months and will encourage the district council to listen to what the community wants”.

November 23, 2015

Open Meeting 2nd December

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Where next?

When we accepted the offer to run the cafe at the end of July we didn’t realise how all consuming it would be. All consuming and challenging but an amazing experience.

We are really pleased how the Park has responded to the cafe – it is starting to feel alive after the neglect of the last few years. With your help and support the cafe will be open through the winter – we need more budding baristas, bakers and helpers so if you can help please come to the cafe and talk to one of the team. We can’t keep it open without you.

Open Meeting to discuss plans for the Park

We know the Park is a much bigger fish than the cafe and it’s time we started to do some planning with the district council to bring some life to more areas of the Park. We have held an initial scene setting meeting with NNDC, and they have asked us for our ideas.

You may remember the survey back in March (so much has happened since then!) to which you responded in your hundreds.

From the priorities you gave us we have started to put together thoughts on how the Park could develop, and how to invest the money we have made from the cafe.

We need your help to make sure we get it right.

Play areas, sports, games and exercise areas, picnic areas, water, art and events are all in our thoughts – it’s important we plan these improvements carefully as we’ll only get one chance.

We’d like you to come to an open meeting on 2nd December in the Community Hall (7.30pm) to discuss options, plans and ideas – come along and help make it a really productive working meeting.

Walker Brothers

On Saturday 28th November The Walker Brothers of Norfolk will be singing in North Lodge Park!

This talented group of singers will be entertaining us with songs from the 40’s through to the 70’s, as well as excerpts from well known Musicals. So if you fancy a bit of the Beach Boys, a dose of Dean Martin or a taste of the Temptations then you know where to come!
This is a free event and we do suggest that you wrap up warm as the band will be playing outside in a marquee next to the cafe (where delicious cake awaits!) The fun all starts at 2pm

Our French conversation afternoons are underway in the cafe, every Tuesday from 14.30. It’s informal and not too strict with all levels catered for. So if you just want to brush up your French or sing French songs you are very welcome.