Orchard Park Playing Field, Teddington
Orchard Park Playing Field in Teddington owes its existence to the gift of a plot of land by the late Mr Hubert Blackwell of Orchard House Farm, as part of a proposal for housing development in Walnut Bank.
As a growing community Teddington had lacked a place where children could play in safety and a public meeting on 18 September 1990 voted enthusiastically to establish a recreation ground. Mr Blackwell fenced off the site and on 1 July 1990 the land was conveyed to the ownership of Teddington Parish Council, which leased it to a management committee.
The Parish Council provided funds towards legal fees incurred in establishing the playing field and voted to give an annual grant towards running costs. Start-up grants were also received from the Gloucestershire Playing fields Association, Tewkesbury Borough council and ITV=s telethon Appeal.
Every household in the village was asked to complete a questionnaire about the kind of playing facilities that should be provided and, guided by the replies, the management committee began a programme to install swings, a slide and climbing frame (all with soft landing safety areas) and goalposts for football.
Orchard Park, which is intended for the use of the whole parish, was officially opened by Councillor Jack Threadingham, Mayor of the Borough of Tewkesbury, on 7 September 1991 - within a year of the decision by residents to establish the play facility. Villagers later turned out for a mass Adig-in@ to plant hedging stock and trees, now becoming well established.
Alstone Playing Field Association
Alstone Playing Field Association was formed in 1969 when Overbury Parochial Church Council offered the church owned allotment site at Alstone at a nominal rent for the recreational use of the whole parish. In 1981 the Hearle family donated an adjoining piece of land to be held in trust by the Playing Field Association and registered with the Official Custodian of Charities.
The field is run by a management committee as a recreation ground for the benefit of residents of the parish of Teddington and is supported by an annual grant from the Parish Council.
Facilities include a practice wall and swings for smaller children. Although the field is not big enough for full scale team games, it is very popular for informal games of soccer on Sunday mornings and is well suited to activities for younger children. It has also been made available for charity sporting occasions. Grass cutting and field maintenance are carried out under contract, the cost of which is the main charge on playing field funds.
