By Hannah Corcoran, Features Subeditor
It’s a typical bank holiday Monday as a fine drizzle coats the streets of Bristol. Instead of heading to the beach in a fruitless search for sun, I head to Greville Smyth Park in Southville for the community's annual welly wanging contest.
Simply put, welly wanging is throwing a welly as far as you can. The furthest throw wins a prize. The event is arranged by the Friends of Greville Smyth Park (FroGS)- a volunteer-run community organisation that looks after the park in partnership with Bristol City Council. FroGS have arranged this welly wanging event, and a wildlife trail for children, to raise funds for the maintenance of the park.
When I received the email inviting me to attend the event, I enthusiastically agreed. However I replied I’d love to participate in welly ‘wangling’, meaning ‘to obtain [a welly] by persuading or cleverly manipulating someone.’
Luckily my typo doesn’t stop me from receiving a gracious welcome from the lovely volunteers at Greville Smyth.
When I arrive at the stand I am introduced to Chris Whale, chairman of FroGS, who explains this is the third year of welly wanging in Southville. He explains it started as a 'silly idea' but with a noble purpose to raise money for the maintenance of the park. When I walk around it’s easy to see why: paths are potholed and eroded, tarmac needs resurfacing and a toilet block lies derelict at the far corner of the park. Beyond immediate repairs FroGS also have ambitions to install the biggest family friendly slide in Bristol, which is bound to be a hit with young visitors.
But children aren’t the only ones who make use of the free green space that Greville Smyth offers. Dog walkers, runners, cyclists, footballers: locals of all ages come here. The health and wellbeing benefits of easy access to a multi-use nature space is well-documented- this is what makes protecting spaces like Greville Smyth so important.
While Bristol City Council cover some basic maintenance costs, it’s a financial struggle to keep the park maintained. Epigram asked Bristol City Council why, considering the allocation of £120,000 for ‘Greville Smyth and other sites’ in November last year, volunteer work is still needed to maintain the park. Councillor Stephen William, Chair of the Public Health and Communities Committee, replied:
‘We are incredibly grateful to Friends of Greville Smyth (FroGS) [who] create a local sense of ownership through the care and enhancements they bring to the park.’
He added: 'The repairs needed for the paths are being considered as part of a wider programme of works to improve paths across the entire Parks Estate with works being prioritised based on their condition.'
After paying to enter the contest I throw the first welly underarm. It leaves my grasp too soon, skims the grass, and lands barely two metres in front of me. Just a warmup, of course. The second and third are more successful overhead/trebuchet throws but fall way short of the record markers. More successful participants put a spin on the welly like a frisbee. Someone breaks the day record.
About thirty minutes later the contest intensifies. The volunteers manning the throws are soldiers of the first degree: their ability to dodge wellies are second to none. While all being troopers, FroGS is comprised of members from different backgrounds: chairman Chris is a geologist while Emma-Lou, who marketed the event, works in the creative industry. FroGS certainly live up to their mission statement of a ‘small group with big plans!’.
Ella Joshi
Kashvi Cox
Emma-Lou later messages me with fantastic images from the day and tells me the welly wanging had raised over £600. In other words, if there’s a successful fundraiser in a lively Bristol park, you can bet there’s an organisation like FroGS behind it.
Featured image: FroGS volunteers at welly wanging contest / Melanie Ruth
When will you visit Greville Smyth Park?
