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Introducing...The Stondon Recreation Association!

First off - a hearty welcome to this Website, which as we all hoped has become a vital and invaluable asset for the village of Stondon, its residents, and its visitors now and in the future. An especially warm welcome to this, our own page, where we will try and give you a flavour of who we are, what we are about, and where we are going.

This is our logo – if you see this anywhere on notices, signs or posters it will always tell you that the SRA are once again involved in something that will help meet the recreational needs of all in our rapidly expanding village, and that it might well be worth you having a look as what is going on – guaranteed you will enjoy it!

So how did we start, where did we come from..? No don’t click onto another page. This is not going to be a tedious old history lesson, just a brief step back over the years.

It all kicked off in 1956 when some concerned parents in the new Mayfield Crescent area got together with the aim of having quality play facilities built. They became the Mayfield Crescent Tenants Association and through much hard work and fundraising, and a generous benefactor, the land that is now our Fakeswell Lane Play Area was bought on 14th August 1958. After much work on clearing, fencing and grass seeding the Grand Opening was performed by the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire on 4th June 1960.

Play equipment was bought, and management of the site was handed to the Mayfield Playground Management Committee. Eventually, in 1978, the Stondon Recreation Association took the site over to add to the Station Road site it already owned and this meant the two (then) main Play Areas of the village were run by the same body.

Bored yet? OK, to keep you interested, let me tell you how the Fakeswell Lane site has changed again over the last few years under our continuing management – a real "before and after".

These pictures are as it was "before", the site was gradually getting old and tired, and the undergrowth was taking over - did not look too good at all did it?

But then a fresh committee was formed with the specific mission of renovating the site and bringing it up to modern standards. This involved some really hard grafting by the Fakeswell Lane sub-committee – they cleared the ground of stubborn undergrowth, picked up litter, planted shrubs and organised the mending of the fence. As in 1956, this is a brilliant example of what a small determined group of residents (here along with SRA Committee members) can achieve if they have the will and the enthusiasm.

A major fundraising exercise then got underway and this was rewarded by us being able to sign off on a major deal to completely revamp the Play Area with loads of brand new equipment to keep the local children amused, occupied and exercised.

On the 15th July 2009 the Fakeswell Lane sub-committee proudly held a Tea Party to commemorate the official re-opening of the refurbished site and from that day to this Fakeswell has become something of lasting value and pride for the village.

Just look at the site now!

Of course the task continues and the SRA organises regular work parties to maintain the site, so if you ever want to get involved let us know...

Our biggest site now is Hillside Park just off Hillside Road (the road that also goes past the Lower School and the Village Hall). This fantastic facility was obtained by the SRA under an Agreement some years ago between a developer and two local landowners. The site was officially opened on 20th April 2002 and has been a superb asset for the village ever since.

It boasts a brilliant Play Area for children of all ages, with all the usual swings & slides, plus things to climb up, on or over, things to go round on and there is also a full size basketball hoop.

We even have a Teen Shelter for those that just want to watch the world go by...

The whole Play Area is completely fenced off for safety, and we have banned dogs from the main Area for the further safety of all children using the site. Dog walkers can still use the rest of the field, we just ask that everyone takes any waste away with them or uses the correct bins provided.

New trees have been thoughtfully planted, and benches carefully placed so all can watch the football, others at play, or just relax in beautiful surroundings.

We have annual inspections of the Park and indeed of all our sites by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, and pride ourselves on moving quickly to deal with any hazards arising. The SRA also carries full Public Liability Insurance for all our sites.

The main field is used regularly by local football teams, and for years we have staged Village Fetes, Fun days and Camp Outs on the site - and these events have involved many of the other Groups and Associations that exist in Stondon.

In particular we have always had close ties with the Lower School, and we are looking forward to continuing and improving on this in the future, as we can be of great mutual help when organising events like Easter Treasure Hunts and Sports Days. Access to the field is via The Pastures off Hillside Road and through the gates (height restrictor in place for vehicles) and there is ample parking available. Events are always being planned so keep this Website as a favourite and check in regularly.

Our final site is located just off Station Road and way back when it had play equipment on it and was well used – however over the years the equipment fell into disrepair, had to be removed and for a long time now has just been simply a grassed area. We recently planted a hedging perimeter as a precursor to our exciting new plans for the site – its complete transformation into a BMX track!

Plans are still in the early stages, but funding applications have been made, and public exhibitions have been held at SRA events showing our proposals. It is our intention to keep everyone in the village informed about our progress especially those living closest to the site so in case you have not seen the plan this is reproduced above. It will take a lot of hard work fundraising for this, and to actually make it happen but we hope to have it in place in mid-2011. Watch out on this website and notices for updates!

So where are all these sites within the village? Here’s a map to help you find them! As you can see, all are within easy reach. The Pollards Way site is not managed by the Stondon Recreation Association – but we are showing this for completeness.

The SRA is a vibrant, enthusiastic and hard working body that really cares about our village, and providing recreational and sports facilities for all. We work closely with the Parish Council, and have close links to the other Associations & Groups within Stondon like the Stondon Stompers, Village Hall and Friends of All Saints Church.

We have a fairly small committee and are always on the lookout for keen, new members willing to pitch in – so please get in touch if you are interested

We try and organise fundraising events throughout the year, like the Fireworks Night, pictured here, in conjunction with the Golf Club and we always have a stall or two at the Lower School Fetes. In 2011 we also ran a fantastic Casino Night - James Bond themed naturally!

The Stondon Masters Golf Tournament, another joint venture with the Golf Club, is fast becoming a favourite event in the village calendar and there are also social events we organise like the Christmas Celebrations in partnership with the local Churches – our first one of these took place over Christmas 2010 and was a brilliant success. See the proof below!

The SRA hopes this brief look at who we are and what we do has given you a better idea of what Stondon has to offer, we hope you can support us by coming along to our events, and use the village facilities to the full.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read all this, and hope to see you soon.

Chris Brooks Chair, Stondon Recreation Association