<![CDATA[Friends of Victoria Park

<![CDATA[Friends of Victoria Park - News]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:45:19 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[VICTORIA PARK BAT WALK, MONDAY 9TH MARCH 6.30pm]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:19:34 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/victoria-park-bat-walk-monday-9th-march-630pm

Hello to all local residents. Next Monday, 9th March at 6.30pm, Friends is holding its next Bat Walk. This is the 4th year we've held this really popular event and everyone is delighted to see the bats flying around our heads and feeding on the insects.Please come dressed for a cold, probably damp evening. FoVP will provide the bat detectors which you use to hear the ultrasonic sounds the bats make. With these detectors you will easily see the bats, assuming they don't stay home.We will meet at the pond / toilets in the centre of the park and then split into groups to walk around the park. The bats normally fly around the trees and pond feeding on insects so this is a good location.The bats only come out of their roosts just at dusk, as the daylight is fading; this can be earlier or later depending on the cloud cover and a cloudy evening will bring dusk earlier.Please be aware the park will become darker as the evening progresses and you and any children should be prepared for the darkening conditions.As the event is popular, with possibly 30 people, everyone should be safe and we expect groups of say 6 people/group. We would ask everyone to remain in their chosen group. Everyone is of course free to leave at any time.
If anyone has their own bat detectors, please can you bring them along.

]]><![CDATA[February Fossil Grove Path Clearing]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:10:05 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/february-fossil-grove-path-clearingOn a rather damp dreich but very mild February afternoon Friends had a great turn out of 7 volunteers to clean up the paths in the Fossil Grove. Wouldn’t recommend eating my dinner off the finished path though.

]]><![CDATA[Friends 2026 First Volunteer Saturday]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:48:03 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/friends-2026-first-volunteer-saturdayOn Saturday 24th January, Friends started the new year with a litter pick around the park and local streets. The weather on the day was dry but cold and cloudy so expectations were not great. We were amazed to have a wonderful turn out of 14 volunteers. As well as our regular bunch, we had 3x young lads from Hydeland secondary school doing their DofE, a father and son from Newton Mearns, and a new volunteer from Broomhill; we hope this new volunteer will continue to come along.
We split into 4 groups, 2x of whom went to the Victorian Gate and then split west and east, clearing litter both inside and outside the fence line where much litter tends to gather and not be collected by the council. Another group headed south to the fence line and underpass and then west to Westland Drive. The last group headed to the Fossil Grove. We didn't count the number of bags of rubbish but there must have been at least 14, one for each volunteer. We all retired proud of a job well done and hoping our example will have rubbed off on passers by. It's also great to meet others who reguklarly do the same; somehow, as a society, we have to keep on top of the litter. Thanks to all, both on Saturday and every other day.
]]><![CDATA[Kilt Walk Fund Raising 25/26th April]]>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 13:24:18 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/kilt-walk-fund-raising-2526th-april

Are you up for a challenge in 2026? Then take part in the Glasgow Kiltwalk, on 25 and 26 April and make Victoria Park Community Trust your chosen charity. Not only will this be an incredible personal achievement, but you’ll also be helping us to revitalise one of Glasgow’s best loved parks.
Choose your distance

The Mighty Stride: up to 23 miles
The Big Stroll: up to 15 miles
The Wee Wander: up to 4 miles

Sign up today at https://www.thekiltwalk.co.uk/events/glasgow as the event sells out fast.

Even better, ask your friends to join too and be part of our Victoria Park Team.

]]><![CDATA[New Historic Coloured Photos Donated]]>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:39:18 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/new-historic-coloured-photos-donatedFriends have been very lucky and received from a local resident the set of old photographs of Victoria Park which have been restored and colourised. As you can see the pictures look as though the had been just taken although everyone is in Victorian period clothing. They do look wonderful. In particular the photos of the now vanished pavilion, the huge yachts and the tram on Victoria Park Drive South. Most are from the Virtual Mitchell or the Old Scotstoun and Whiteinch book by Sandra Malcolm.

]]><![CDATA[Tree Planting with Whiteinch Primary School]]>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 19:09:18 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/tree-planting-with-whiteinch-primary-schoolOn 19th December, Friends, in association with Victoria Park Trust, planted 3 new trees, an oak and 2x apple trees which were planted in the orchard. A 4th tree, a cherry, was delivered in time.
This event was the final stage of a tree awareness campaign between Friends and the school children. In fact the trees were chosen by the children in the Autumn, when the children had an previous trip into the park as a tree, educational event.

]]><![CDATA[St Andrews Day Ceilidh]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:49:38 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/st-andrews-day-ceilidhFriends, in association with Victoria Park Community Trust, celebrated the 850th year of Glasgow City. Funding was given by the Council which enabled VPCT to hire a great ceilidh band and soup was provided by the Heart of Scotstoun to provide some warm sustenance for the dancers. The day was clear blue sky with bright sunshine. It was cold unless standing directly in the sunshine but the avenue of trees threw long cold shadows across the dancers making the ceilidh but warm and cold. There were easily 150 folk of all ages an abilities having a wonderful celebration ceilidh. We even had a good 40 couple Strip the Willow which took some 15 minutes for all the couples to be spun off their feet. Brilliant.

]]><![CDATA[Friends Volunteer Saturday 22nd Nov]]>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 21:02:39 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/friends-volunteer-saturday-22nd-nov

Thanks to all our Friends who turned out this morning. We cleared the paths in the Fossil Grove and removed some of the invasive reeds from the little pond. We were advised by professional pond experts (Frog Lufe) that Nov was the best time to do this work and outside the spawning season. Hopefully the reeds wont return too quickly.

]]><![CDATA[Remembrance Sunday 2025]]>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:47:10 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/remembrance-sunday-2025"Losses in Glasgow were estimated at 13740 from World War 2 with 200 000 having joined up. This shows the sheer scale of losses shown in memorials in churches schools and workplaces. "
From the service in Victoria Park at the war memorial on Sunday with thanks to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission who provided information.
Thanks to Friends of Victoria Park for organising and to speakers Gillian Maudsley local historian, Yevgen Gorash from the Ukranian society of Great Britain , Ben Shepherd Friends of Victoria Park and Ruby who played the last post from Jordanhill Secondary

]]><![CDATA[Friends Wild Flower Plugs Planting]]>Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:12:41 GMThttps://fovp.weebly.com/news/friends-wild-flower-plugs-plantingToday, Friends of Victoria Park managed to plant out 1500 wildflower plug plants in the area adjacent to the expressway which has some rewilding. This area was cleared of dead vegetation last week using scythes the material removed away from the site. We had 6 volunteers working hard the plants being supplied by the Council. We look forward to a great display next summer and future summers.

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