One of the joys of living in Epsom is the wonderful green open spaces, it makes the town a marvellous place to bring up your children. I am very fortunate to live right beside Alexandra Park in College Ward. The park is surrounded by 2 nurseries, 3 primary schools and Glyn School, the largest secondary school in the borough. The park and playground is a natural meeting place for families, school friends and the local sports teams. It sounds perfect, but it wasn't. The lack of facilities, toilets or refreshment meant parents, basketball players or dog walkers would cut short their visit. Being a school governor at Wallace Fields Primary and part of the Friends of Alexandra Park I was approached time and again by local residents sharing their view that the park needed improvement.
So in 2018 I contacted Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and found there were no licenses available for the sale of food and drink in our local park and they were not minded to change this. I compiled a petition with over 500 signatures in the local area, I lobbied our local borough councillors who supported the campaign, I produced a Facebook page with over 600 followers, I undertook a survey of residents asking what they wanted the facilities to provide, I carried our research in neighbouring boroughs with successful park cafes, I produced a business plan showing how the cafe would create revenue for the council, I contacted the local sports teams who use the park for their input, everyone, apart for the council were on board.
Eventually, by 2020 the council recognised the overwhelming public support our campaign had, they agreed to offer licences for the sale of food and drink in the parks and began advertising invitations to tender on the litter bins across the borough. In 2020 Michaela and Eric submitted a successful bid for a cafe in the pavilion of Alexandra Park, Park View Cafe, www.myparkviewcafe.com It opened the following year and we now have a fabulous addition to our park that has transformed the experience for all visitors. The coffee is wonderful and Michaela's home made cakes are delicious. It has turned our lovely park into a destination and the cafe has truly become a community hub, which was the vision of all of us who worked on the campaign. Well done guys!