York’s West Bank Park - loved by so many for it’s ancient trees, playgrounds, nature areas and bowling greens (and not forgetting Queen Victoria!) - an absolute jewel which has kept many of us going over the past year of lockdowns.

For those of us who are frequent visitors, I’m sure many of you will agree that the staff and volunteers who look after the bowling greens have provided a real community service during these hard times - keeping up spirits with the open air tuck shop and maintaining the beautiful greens.

I know many shared my absolute horror to see the recent vandalism to one of the greens. During recent snow/frost, swear words and inappropriate pictures were drawn all over the green - this damaged the grass underneath and has now become permanent until it is grown out. Extra lawn feeds might help speed this process, but this is an extra cost. The upkeep of the lawns costs around £3000 per year, so any extra costs are difficult to cover.

I would love to raise some money for the York Amateur Bowling Association to help with the repair and upkeep of the greens at West Bank Park. Any extra money raised will go towards funds for CCTV to cover the bowling greens and play area.

Let’s see how much we can raise towards the upkeep of our beautiful park, which is too often the subject of vandalism Thanks!