PEOPLE often have pride in their gardens, but now Newportonians in the east of the city are taking ownership of their parks as well with regeneration plans for both Beechwood Park and Woodland Park gathering pace.

Volunteers have earned recognition for their work rejuvenating nearby Woodland Park in Maindee, while a group of Beechwood residents are planning a busy year for the park.

Woodland Park’s volunteer group was set up last year and have won the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ award from the Royal Horticultural Society and Wales in Bloom.

Matthew Jarvis said a sculpture of the Welsh goddess Blodeuwedd had been commissioned for the park, which would be eight feet tall. In mythology, she was made from flowers and turned into an owl after she has misbehaved. From the front the sculpture will look like a woman, but she will be an owl from the back.

Mr Jarvis described the process of bringing the park back to an area everyone could enjoy: “The dingle area was completely overgrown. Laurel had completely taken over. It’s not native to this country and it was everywhere. There was a small amount of Japanese knotweed and we had to treat that.

“Children have set up a rope swing and we see them playing all the time now. It’s the sort of adventurous play which gets them out from behind the X-box.”

He said the community had responded well: “There used to be a problem with drugs but that’s a lot less now.”

He said the amount of litter dropped had also decreased and they had reduced the amount of litter-picks.

Meanwhile, Beechwood residents are planning a carol concert for December 7.

As well as this, volunteers are hoping to put on a Halloween party and a bonfire night party at Mrs T’s cafe.

At a meeting last Thursday at Beechwood House, the volunteers talked about making funding bids for tennis courts, paddling pool and children’s play area.

For next year they’re focusing on an autumn show, development of the wooded Dingle area, getting schools involved and bringing in sponsorship.