Community Festival Celebrates £5M Spend In Tottenham's Largest Park

Thousands of residents celebrated the community-led regeneration of Tottenham's largest park.

Eight thousand attended the 2012 Lordship Rec Community Festival joining in the sports, arts and crafts, music and dance, history, discussions and other fun and educational activities on offer.

Over £5m of construction works,including £4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, have brought a brand-new flower-lined channel for the River Moselle, a new ‘Loop’ bike track, an environmental hub building with café and classroom, refurbishment of the Shell Theatre, restoration of the historic and nationally-unique Model Traffic Area, new meadows, flower-beds and tree planting and general improvements to drainage, paths and entrances.

Cllr Nilgun Canver, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said:

"The festival provided a great opportunity to introduce all the new features and facilities to local residents and to showcase how community action can really regenerate an area and strengthen communities. Thank you to the Lordship Rec Users Forum and all the volunteers who helped with this marvellous event and those who have worked with Haringey Council to oversee all the park's improvements over the years."

Activities at the festival included the Tottenham Flower and Produce Show, a dog show, cycling events, a green zone, City Farm animals and horse rides, a huge hot air balloon and cream teas! Many people took advantage of the good weather and organised their own picnics in the park.

Dave Morris, Chair of the Lordship Rec Users Forum, said:

"This ten-year community-led regeneration project has demonstrated what can be achieved when residents’ own visions for the future are backed by the resources and political will we need. We look forward to this community empowerment continuing over the next ten years as we help to manage the park in partnership with the council."

The event was organised and co-ordinated by the Lordship Rec Users Forum, the community-led stakeholders organisation that has driven forward the successful regeneration of the park.

View photos

You can view more photos from the event on our Flickr site here (external link)