Buddies of Beckets Park

This article is by Sienna Mahoney, a Journalism student at the University of Northampton.

Buddies of Beckets Park (BOB) was started in 2016, since when it’s organised Northampton’s first Mela (Indian festival), mindfulness events, and more.

BOB was started by Nick Stephens and Joy Ormond, two people who wanted to see the park maintained after being uncared for previously. They’re a great example of a grassroots organisation that works to benefit both the local community and the environment. The organisation is made up of volunteers, it’s also now reached charity status through the amount of work they’ve put in.

Some things that they do to help the environment include planting various flowers and trees, with help of their partners. BOB is also responsible for a small wildflower meadow located within the park. These changes provide pollen and nectar for invertebrates such as bees and butterflies, and enhance the ecosystem in the park which attracts more wildlife.

They also maintain Beckets Park with some organised litter picks that they do with their volunteers. This lowers the risk of animals residing in the park from being hurt and prevents litter from ending up in the river and, eventually, the sea.

They don’t just maintain the park either, they host a variety of events.

“Early on, BOB decided that any event we organised had to be inclusive and community oriented.” said Nick Stephens, one of the founders of BOB.
He continued:
“As we have increased the profile of the park, other organisations have become interested in using the park.     
“Recently, we helped the pavilion become a café. This has been our goal since 2017 when the previous leaseholder died.”

Nick’s proudest moment of working at BOB was organising Northampton’s first Mela. Their next event is an Elf Door Hunt, aimed at children, taking place December 14, 2024.

For anyone interested in volunteering for BOB, please visit their Facebook page for details. https://www.facebook.com/bobnorthampton