This Thursday in the park, 5.30pm for about 1.5hrs (meeting at the Cafe area). The session is being led by Alex Paterson, Senior Projects Officer, The Conservative Volunteers (TCV) - a Glasgow based charity who work with local volunteer groups on conservation.

The session will comprise of identifying various wild species large and small, inc plants, bugs, birds and trees and will consider how to gather information and data on those species we find. This will provide excellent data for you, Friends, TCV, the council and the world. So why not join us and expand your knowledge and help protect all our loved local wildlife.

I suggest everyone is welcome but the event is not a game so younger children may get bored. I suggest you bring a bottle of water and please note the toilets are closed at this time. You may be asked, but not essential, to sit on the ground to look at the wildlife under our feet. Maybe a sitting mat would help.

Friends are asking for volunteers to join our volunteer sessions on 22nd and 29th July. The Fossil Grove fernery and pond needs some TLC to bring it back to its wonderful condition. Also if we’ve lots of volunteers we’ll weed some of the formal beds that we maintain.

We’ll meet as usual in front of the FG building at 10 am on both saturdays.

We’re looking forward to seeing and chatting to you and we may finish with a coffee at the park cafe.

Our AGM has come round and this year, it will be held on:
Thursday 18th May 2023, 7. 00pm – 9.00 pm at St. Thomas Aquinas, Mitre Road
We will start with a welcome from our Convenor followed by 3 excellent speakers as follows. We’re sure you’ll enjoy hearing their stories; I certainly am looking forward to the evening. 

 1. Sandra Malcolm: A history of Victoria Park and Surrounds
 2. David Webster: Fossil Grove Building Essential Works
 3. Steve Nelson: Victoria Park Community Trust Update
 
We will have a short break so we can get together and exchange ideas.
The AGM will follow with the usual agenda to vote in the office bearers plus other essential points. 
Our members input and advice is not just welcome but essential to our society.
 The Committee wishes to advise of their intention to have the Standing Order below appended to our constitution:
 
Standing Order:
 
1)       Spending Procedure: for all major Society spending i.e., not petty cash amounts (which can be agreed at a quorate Committee meeting on an ad hoc basis) a spending proposal will be brought to the Committee and a budget agreed. A quote would then be obtained and brought to the Committee for approval. The authorised spending can then proceed. This procedure can be altered for specific reasons agreed by the committee on an item by item basis. Documentation for spending must be made available to our Treasurer.”
 
Members are asked to consider the above, ahead of the vote at our AGM.
We look forward to seeing you all then.
 
Robert McKay
 
Convenor of FoVP

Friends are arranging a volunteer day on Saturday 1st April at 10am. We will be doing our usual tidying, some limited weeding in the Fossil Grove and pond area and general litter picking. 
 
One task, but only for strong and fit people is we want to remove the turf from one of the formal display beds near the pond but this does require some serious backbreaking work.
 
Tools will be provided. 
 
Please meet with David Webster at the front of the Fossil Grove Building at 10am. Thanks and please look out for David. All help is seriously welcome.