The three man Park Ranger team based in the Community Gardens are the front line service provided as part of Banbury Town Council's commitment to safe and enjoyable parks and open spaces within the Town.
The Ranger Service encourages and promotes the use of parks and open spaces. The Service undertakes the weekly inspections of all of the town's play/teenage facilities and outdoor gym areas playing a vital role in maintaining these areas, repairing damaged items of equipment and ensuring that they are safe for use.
They aid the development of new play-areas and run the People’s Park Community Garden, which gives members of the community/volunteers an opportunity to learn more about horticulture and gardening in general. Volunteers are able to get involved in a wide range of activities, including the growing of vegetables, herbs, flowers and undertaking minor landscape works.
Park Rangers also work with members of the community, schools and various community groups to improve their local environment. This includes planting trees, shrubs and bulbs. Community Action days have taken place in Spiceball Park, People’s Park, Easington Recreation Ground, Moorfields Park, Hanwell Brook wetland area, Browning Road Park and on the new cattle market development (by the community centre), proving most successful and enjoyable for those who attended.
As part of Banbury in Bloom the Rangers hold work-shops within schools to stimulate interest at an early age in nature/ecology. The workshops have included the growing of sunflowers and creation of hanging baskets. Currently the Rangers having been working with St Mary’s and Harriers Schools developing gardening clubs with the children.
The Park Ranger Service provides a vital link between the users of parks and open spaces and Banbury Town Council.