The Wish Park community ended 2024 on a real high, showcasing the amazing spirit and teamwork that makes this place so special! Here’s just a snapshot of just a few things we achieved together:

• A brand-new football pitch layout, now home to over 250 children playing every week—a fantastic achievement for the football teams.
• A stunning new outdoor gym—bringing exercise opportunities for all ages and fitness levels.
• Thriving gardening sessions with growing participation, keeping our park vibrant and beautiful.
• A quick response to adversity: When PCFC’s goalposts were stolen, the community rallied together and replaced them within 24 hours—a spectacular demonstration of how much we care!
• Brass bands and carols with mince pies and mulled wine, creating a magical festive event that brought everyone together.

A huge thank you to every single volunteer and participant who made these moments happen. Wish Park thrives because of you!

Why Wish Park Matters

Wish Park is an incredible asset to our community—a space where families can connect, stay active, and enjoy nature. Since the petition to maintain the park after the loss of our park keeper, we’ve been working hard to collaborate with the council to ensure Wish Park is properly maintained and continually improved to meet our community’s needs.

We understand council resources are stretched, but all we’re asking for is efficient management of City Parks services that align with the council’s health and wellbeing strategy. By encouraging participation in sport, exercise, and community activities, we can ensure our council tax delivers real value for everyone.

Challenges We’re Facing

We’re starting 2025 with a few unexpected hurdles, but we’re committed to addressing them constructively:

Cricket Astro Wicket Planning Application

A planning application has been submitted for an Astro wicket in the park’s northwest corner. Unfortunately, this proposed location doesn’t meet ECB safety guidelines, putting the nursery, community garden, and nearby properties at risk. It also disrupts the new football pitch layout.
While we fully support cricket in Wish Park, we’re asking the council to work with the community to find a safer and more suitable location. If you’d like to share your thoughts, you can comment on the application here: https://planningapps.brighton-hove.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=neighbourComments&keyVal=SN94YBDML6E00 
The deadline for comments is 31st January.

Pavilion and Café Development

In October, stakeholders came together to agree on a phased plan to develop the pavilion and café, using available S106 developer funds now and allowing for future expansion. This would benefit the whole community and provide much-needed new facilities for PCFC to match their incredible growth.
While this was a significant step forward, we’ve since been told that the council doesn’t have the resources to progress the design. Despite offering professional help from the community to get things moving, this offer has been declined, and there’s now a real risk of losing the allocated S106 funds.
 
How You Can Get Involved

There’s a lot to do, and the community’s passion and commitment are what keeps Wish Park thriving. If you’d like to get involved—whether in gardening, sport, or other volunteer efforts—we’d love to hear from you!

You’re also warmly invited to join the next Friends of Wish Park (FoWP) meeting:

📅 Monday, 27th January
📍 The Gather Inn, 7pm

Please let us know if you’d like to attend by emailing desodell@sky.com 

Thank you again for your ongoing support. Together, we can make 2025 an even greater year for Wish Park!