Stop press: Holywells Park win

24th May, Portcullis House, Westminster, the Attlee Suite, saw the presentation of the Civic Voice Design Awards for 2016.

Civic Voice is the national charity for the civic movement in England with a mission to develop a society where everyone can say, “I care about where I live”. Civic Voice promotes civic pride through a network of over 75,000 individual members and societies, of which we are one.

The President, Griff Rhys Jones, was unable to be present as promised, but Freddie Gick the Chair of Civic Voice, welcomed over a hundred delegates to the celebration. Representatives from all around the country were present: from the Isle of Wight to Winchester and from Liverpool to Ipswich. In the beautifully oak-panelled suite on the first floor of this arresting addition to the Parliamentary Estate, just across the road from the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), we gathered.

Nick Wilcox (IBC Holywells Park Manager), Richard Sharp, Tony Marsden (Vice Chair, Ipswich Society) and Councillor Phil Smart (IBC Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport) accepted the Public Realm Winner Award for the Holywells Park restoration project.

Also present were John Norman (Chair, Ipswich Society) and our planning guru, Mike Cook, with his wife Sally. We were pleased also to see another Society member, Ben Gummer MP, pop in from his hectic schedule at the Department of Health.

The project earned the Ipswich Society's own Award of Distinction last year and it was felt that it deserved greater acclaim so was nominated by The Society. A popular winner then: it was praised, this time by the judges, as being:

“Central to local community life - extending a vibrant, friendly and warm welcome and providing a varied programme of activities throughout the seasons, including a Scarecrow Party and Apple Day in October.”

A lengthy and fulsome account of the project was given by the judge Russ Hamilton, a design partner at Farrells the international architecture and urban design firm. Later Max Farrell, Chair of the panel and partner in the same firm, concluded by referring to ‘civic champions' responding to the demands of the the local communities in the pursuit of quality in the public realm. The Civic Award is a tremendous accolade for Holywells Park, for the Society and for the town of Ipswich.

We came away musing on the potential nominations for our own awards this year!

Tony Marsden

[Members are able to celebrate this excellent result at our Members' Garden Party at The Orangery, Holywells Park on Friday July 15. Details on page 11. -Ed.]