Penarth Civic Society
Cymdeithas Ddinesig Penarth
formerly The Penarth Society
Friends of
Victoria Square
Victoria Square is over 130 years old, having been laid out as a green-space and prominent town landmark in the late 1880s, along with its central feature of All Saints Church. It has gone through many changes over the years since, from Church land, to shared [Vale of Glamorgan] Council land, a fenced park to an open space, and from a cared-for space to one that became somewhat neglected...
...Which is why this group was formed.
About The Group
Friends of Victoria Square is a local Community Group, dedicated to "Caring for Victoria Square, Penarth", and developing a variety of projects based around such themes as preservation, conservation, nature & gardening.
They also exist as a way of helping The Community of Penarth better use, understand and appreciate this local green-space.
What the Group Does
The Aim and Constitution of Friends of Victoria Square is to:
"Care for The Square"
and
"To celebrate, conserve, and enhance
Victoria Square as a place of freedom, recreation & enjoyment for all"
The group is formed from local volunteers who meet regularly to add and maintain nature, conservation and gardening projects into The Square, not only as a means of enhancing the appearance of the location, but to offer The Community and visitors to the green-space a more interactive experience.
Why their work is important
Victoria Square is like many of the other green-spaces in Penarth, containing an abundance of flora, fauna, fungi and
In 2018 there was some concern over the state of some of the trees located at The Square. Shortly after FoVS was formed they commissioned a Tree Survey to determine if any of them needed attention. Sadly it was concluded that 15 trees on the site needed to be removed. However, as the VoGC have a Tree Replacement Policy, new trees were planted in their stead.
Aside from enhancing the site as a place for visitors to come and enjoy, FoVS have also integrated conservation into their work, with volunteers helping to maintain and preserve the flora and wildlife habitats, as well as monitoring the local biodiversity of the site to help create data over time.
They have also added Community & Youth Engagement activities, through which they offer their work at The Square as both resources for other groups to use as part of their community needs, and also as educational tools for things such as school curriculum and alternative learning.
Notable Projects
FoVS has created and added several new features to Victoria Square, most notable of which are probably The Community Garden and decorative planters made our of logs from trees that had to be removed.
You can read more about their projects on their own website.
They have also held a number of events in The Square, such as The Eden Project Big Lunch (including a Jubilee Edition), Carols In The Square and Nature Walks.
See their Events Page for more details.
All their work helped them to get a Keep Wales Tidy Green Flag Community Award.
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Formation of The Group
In October 2018 a general meeting to discuss the future maintenance of Victoria Square was held in All Saints Church. As a result of this meeting; attended by more than 50 people, it was obvious that there was very strong support for forming a group to improve and enhance the facilities of the Square.
Friends of Victoria Square was thus formed and became a sub group of The PCS. Their first official meeting date was the 9th April 2019, so this is considered our founding date.
You can read more about their history on their own website.
Active Details
Meeting Times & Locations:
Volunteer Activity Sessions take place every Saturday at Victoria Square, Penarth (CF64 3EH) between 10 & 12 AM.
Special activities & events also occur outside of these times.
Current Chair:
Haydn Mayo
How to Join:
Click here to go to their website's Join Us page.
Membership is free.
How to Contact:
Click here to go to their website's Contact Us page
Any other information:
Members do not have to be active volunteers helping out on site-work sessions. FoVS welcomes all individuals, young and old. No experience needed in any of the actions they take, and there are chances to learn and improve related skills.
See their website for more details on all of the above.
Date of Formation: 9th April 2019
Online & Social Media
You can find more details about the group and their activities at the following sites:
Own Website: https://www.friendsofvictoriasquare.org/
Facebook Page: victoriasquarepenarth
Facebook Group: N/A
Instagram: friendsofvictoriasquarepenarth
YouTube: Friends of Victoria Square (Penarth)
Twittter: N/A
FOVS Events
Sat, 04 MayVictoria Square04 May 2024, 10:00Victoria Square, Victoria Square, Penarth CF64, UK
Multiple DatesSat, 04 MayVictoria Square04 May 2024, 10:00 – 12:00Victoria Square, Victoria Square, Penarth CF64, UK- Sat, 01 JunVictoria Square01 Jun 2024, 11:00Victoria Square, Victoria Square, Penarth CF64, UK
Thu, 19 SeptOutside Cogan Primary School19 Sept 2024, 19:00 – 21:00Outside Cogan Primary School, Pill St, Penarth CF64 2JS, UK- Sat, 05 OctVictoria Square05 Oct 2024, 01:00Victoria Square, Victoria Square, Penarth CF64, UK