Category archive: Parks

Vote for your most loved Redbridge Park in the People’s Choice Award

During the summer, we announced that nine parks in Redbridge retained their Green Flag status for 2024/25. Now, you have the opportunity to put the spotlight on your favourite Redbridge park by voting in the People’s Choice Award 2024. All Green Flag Award-winning parks across the UK are competing for a spot in the Top

East London Shakespeare Festival returns with sparkling rom-com Much Ado About Nothing

East London Shakespeare Festival (ELSF) returns to Valentines Park and other parks and open spaces across east London this summer, with a sparkling family-friendly production of the Bard’s romanticcomedy Much Ado About Nothing, touring from June to August. Come along to Valentines Park on Thursday 25 or Friday 26 July for this sun-soaked mischief and

Celebrate International Yoga Day at Valentines Park

Valentines Mansion will be the backdrop for this year’s International Yoga Day celebration on Friday 21 June 21 in Valentines Park as part of the Active Body Healthy Mind project. This large-scale outdoor event invites yoga enthusiasts and newcomers alike to experience the transformative power of yoga amidst the lush greenery and peaceful ambiance of

Let’s make a racquet: Valentines Park wins top tennis award

Valentines Park in Redbridge has won a top accolade at the prestigious Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Awards 2024. Valentines Park scooped the Park Venue of the Year Award in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the world of tennis and dedication to fostering a vibrant and inclusive tennis community.  The LTA Tennis Awards celebrate the

More awards for Redbridge with Hainault Forest restoration announced as a Civic Trust finalist

The Hainault Forest Restoration Project has been nominated as a 2024 Regional Finalist for the Civic Trust Awards. Having recently undergone a £7 million refurbishment , Vision Redbridge and The London Borough of Redbridge worked in partnership with the Woodland Trust to improve facilities across the park and make a more engaging visitor experience. The

Winners of Redbridge in Bloom 2023

This year marked the 28th anniversary of our annual amateur gardening competition Redbridge in Bloom, a celebration of community, creativity, and sustainability. To coincide with the recent crowning of His Royal Highness King Charles III, the theme for this years competition was “A Garden Fit for a King”. An advocate for environmental causes, the monarch

Adverse Weather Conditions: Storm Ciaran

The Met Office has issued two weather warnings for parts of the UK as the latest storm approaches the UK. Storm Ciaran is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Redbridge from Wednesday night to Thursday afternoon. We kindly advise our visitors to stay aware and be careful when visiting Redbridge Parks and

Vote for your favourite Redbridge Park in the Green Flag People’s Choice Awards 2023

Earlier this year we announced that nine of Redbridge Parks had retained their Green Flag Status for 2023/23. Throughout the month of September, you have the chance to put most loved Redbridge Parks on the UK map by voting in the Green Flag People’s Choice Award. All Green Flag Award-winning parks across the country are

Brand new playground now open at Hainault Forest

Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure is delighted to announce that the newly built playground at Hainault Forest is now open for children to come and enjoy hours of unadulterated fun. The playground’s opening this week marks the final part of Redbridge Council’s £ 1.7 million investment programme to improve and transform play areas in the

Nine Redbridge Parks Awarded the Coveted Green Flag Award

Redbridge has been officially recognised once again for having nine of the best parks in the UK. In a record-breaking year, over 2,216 parks across the country have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award for 2023.  The nine award-winning Redbridge parks are:  The Green Flag Award is based on a criteria of eight key

MegaMix is Back for the Summer Holidays

Megamix is back this summer with lots of free and low cost activities for children living in Redbridge. Children aged 5-16 have a large selection of activities to choose from during the summer holidays from sports to drama, dance to digital workshops, roller skating to arts and crafts. We’ve put a selection of some of

Tennis courts in Redbridge Parks reopen after £600,000 renovation

Park tennis courts in Redbridge have officially reopened after a £609,674 renovation, managed by the LTA and funded by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, Redbridge Council & Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure. Tennis courts in Valentines Park and Goodmayes Park, which are among those to have benefited from this investment, recently hosted a

Discover beautiful artwork at Valentines Mansion

Valentines Mansion will be celebrating the talents of its nine local artists on Sunday 25 June with an Artists’ Open Studios event. Normally a private workspace for the local makers, the historic top floor of the grade II* listing building will be open to visitors for this special event. The popular event brings together a

A Guide of Activities This May Half Term

May Half Term is almost upon us and across Vision venues we have lots of activities to enjoy. You can see all children’s activities on our Do More page. But we’ve also recapped everything for you here too: Multiple Day Activities Single Day Activities Tuesday 30 May Wednesday 31 May Thursday 1 June Friday 2

East London Shakespeare Festival: Romeo & Juliet on sale now!

Coming to Wanstead Park on 15 and 16 July and Valentines Park on 2 and 3 August East London Shakespeare Festival (ELSF) are bringing their riotous and atmospheric production of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers to outdoor London parks and community spaces this summer. Set in a familiar modern East London, this story of secret loves and

Vision opening hours during Bank Holidays in May

During the Bank Holidays in May our leisure centres, libraries and other centres will have different opening hours. To find out more information on opening times, please see below or visit the individual centre pages. Please check the Vision App for further details on Group Exercise Classes. For more information on our Easter Holiday activities

Hainault Forest new Visitors facilities opens after receiving £7m makeover

On Saturday (15 April) Hainault Forest Visitor’s Centre, café, and event space was officially opened by the Mayor of Redbridge, Thavathuray Jeyaranjan and Deputy Leader, Cllr Kam Rai, with special guests and staff in attendance. The new Woodland’s Trust Visitor’s Centre is the first of its kind and compliments the stunning renovated Victorian barns and

Local park tennis courts in Redbridge set for renovation

The London Borough of Redbridge and the LTA have today (Thursday 9 March) announced a partnership to invest in and refurbish public park tennis courts in Redbridge. Ten park tennis venues will be renovated, with an investment of £424,064, helping ensure that quality facilities are available for the local community.   The project is part of

Nominate Redbridge’s Unsung Heroes in the Redbridge Education Awards

Vision is honoured to be part of the Redbridge Education Awards 2022. A special celebration set up by Redbridge Council to recognise those who support young people on their journey to achieve extraordinary futures. Working with young people is a fulfilling and rewarding profession but can also come with its challenges. Especially over the last

New business opportunity at Hainault Forest – workshop spaces available for rent

Vision RCL and London Borough of Redbridge are completing a major restoration project at Hainault Forest, focussed on the restoration of the Victorian barns complex and the creation of a new visitor hub to be known as The Forest Centre. The restored buildings include a visitor centre, retail and commercial spaces an enhanced catering offer

Join us this October Half Term for holiday fun

Theatre If your child would prefer a more relaxing half term, then the Kenneth More Theatre and Redbridge Drama Centre have got plenty to do. Join the Kenneth More Theatre as they bring prehistoric animals to life with the Dinosaur Show, packed with fun, facts, and laughter, this is something your child will love! Get

Wanstead Festival Postponed

As a mark of respect to Her Majesty The Queen and The Royal Family Wanstead Festival has been postponed. Wanstead Festival, originally planned to take place on Sunday 18 September, the day before Her Majesty’s state funeral, will now take place on Sunday 2 October. The much-loved festival will be back again on Sunday 2

The Grand Opening of The Green Cafe

Vision RCL are pleased to announce the eagerly anticipated Grand Opening of ‘The Green Café’ at Christchurch Green, Wanstead. This gorgeous space is one of Redbridge’s most beautiful open spaces and hosts many fantastic events right through the year including the annual Wanstead Festival. This area is very popular especially in the summer where the public

Redbridge recognised as home to some of the best parks in the UK

Nine Redbridge Parks have once again received prestigious Green Flag Awards, recognising their high quality, conservation, community involvement and the hard work of park staff. The Green Flag Award, founded in 1997 is an internationally recognised marker of high-quality parks and green spaces. The Nine award-winning Redbridge parks are: Claybury Park Clayhall Park Elmhurst Gardens

Free Family Festivals in Redbridge Parks

Start your summer with Vision’s annual summer events programme, take a trip to Redbridge for the fantastic Fairlop Fair on Saturday 2 July at Fairlop Waters. A fun filled day of entertainment for all ages from 11am-6pm. New attractions for 2022 include: Mini golf Petting zoo Chainsaw artist Group exercise taster sessions which include Yoga

Hainault Forest to be part of Queen’s Green Canopy Programme

Hainault Forest has been chosen as part of the Jubilee tree planting project. The country park in Redbridge has been selected as part of a UK-wide network of 70 Ancient Woodlands and 70 Ancient Trees dedicated for the celebrations of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative

Vision RCL donates £1,000 to Swan Sanctuary Charity

When dealing with wildlife and working with partners such as DEFRA and the Environment Agency, the Swan Sanctuary always provide dedicated care and specialist treatment at difficult times. Over the years there have been many occasions where Vision – Redbridge Culture & Leisure have required specialist expertise offered by the Swan Sanctuary Charity. This donation

The ‘Clean Parks for London’ campaign brings together the green space sector to tackle litter in our parks

Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure have joined together with Parks for London and 16 other organisations including the Mayor and nine local councils to launch a new campaign, ‘Clean Parks for London’, starting this April 2022. Led by Parks for London, an independent charity and Centre for Excellence for green space management, the pan-London campaign aims to tackle this

Easter Opening Times

During the Easter period our leisure centres, libraries and other centres will have different opening hours. To find out more information on opening times, please see below or visit the individual centre pages. For more information on our Easter Holiday activities view the Children’s events page. Parks & Open Spaces All of our parks and

The TrUst in Us Model

Credit: Community Leisure UK Why Charitable Trusts are great! Here’s a quick summary! Charitable Trusts come in all shapes and sizes. But they all have two things in common. To do good and make things better.  Your Local Leisure and Culture Trust is no different. They help make your community better because as a charitable organisation

Valentines voted into UKs Top Ten favourite parks

Vision RCL are pleased to announce that Valentines Park has once again been voted one of the Top Ten Green Flag Award-winning parks in the UK. The People’s Choice Award top ten parks were announced in a special virtual awards ceremony hosted by Keep Britain Tidy, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Green

Redbridge’s 2021 Nature Photography Competition Winners announced

Sleepy cygnets, perfect pyramidal orchids, beautiful bumblebees and fox families are just some of the fantastic submissions we received for our recent Nature Photography Competition. During summer 2021, Vision RCL organised a photography competition encouraging residents to engage with the natural world through a lens and explore some of the wonderful wild spaces in Redbridge.

Raise the flag for nine Redbridge Green Flag parks

Redbridge residents will be overjoyed to learn that Redbridge parks are once again being recognised for the prestigious Green Flag award. In Redbridge, we are fortunate to have 50 parks and open spaces where visitors can enjoy walks, children’s play areas, outdoor gyms, cafes or simply relax within the beautiful natural surroundings. Vision RCL is

Garfield Weston Foundation Award £45k to Vision RCL for Hainault Forest Restoration Project

Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure are delighted to announce the award of £45,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation for our major project to restore Hainault Forest. The grant is crucial to achieving our project aims, together with funding from The National Heritage Lottery Fund, the Greater London Authority Mayor’s Fund and Redbridge Council, the project

Vision’s statement for Kiosk Café at Christchurch Green

Vision have submitted a planning application for a kiosk café at Christchurch Green, Wanstead. There is speculation that we are spending up to £2m on this scheme. We would like to make it clear that we have absolutely no intention of spending anything like this sum of money on this proposal. Our current expectation is

Save the date for Vision’s summer finale – Wanstead Festival

Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure is bringing the local community back together again with the annual celebration that residents, local businesses, communities and charities look forward to year on year, Wanstead Festival. Everyone is invited to come along to enjoy a lively afternoon of entertainment on Sunday 12 September at Christchurch Green from 11am until

More Vision Facilities re-open from 17 May

As we now enter the third step in the Government’s road out of lockdown, more of our Vision facilities have reopened today Monday 17 May. While our leisure centres re-opened last month for gym use and swimming, we are excited to finally recommence indoor sports. Fitness classes such as spinning, body conditioning, zumba and lots

Vote for your favourite park in the People’s Choice Award 2020

Help us get Redbridge into the top ten by voting for your favourite park in the People’s Choice Awards. This year an army of experts awarded a record breaking 2,061 Green Flag Awards to the UK’s very best parks and green spaces, including nine Redbridge parks. Organised by Keep Britain Tidy, the scheme is now

Shape the future of Fairlop Waters

Redbridge Council has announced bold and exciting plans to preserve and expand Fairlop Waters, adding 250 acres of green space to the existing park over the coming years. Fairlop Waters is one of the largest country parks in Redbridge, home to expansive green space, a lake, and a wide range of outdoor activities, including the

Winners announced in our ‘Clean Up Your Park, Take Your Litter Home’ poster competition

Litter has become a big problem for Redbridge parks during the good weather. When the bins are full, visitors to the parks have just been leaving their litter behind. So Redbridge Council and Vision put their heads together and thought it would be a good idea to get the younger generation on board. A competition

The Community Leisure UK Award winners have been announced!

The National Community Leisure UK Awards are held annually and recognise, celebrate and share the achievements of leisure and culture trusts across the UK. Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure were delighted to have finalists in three of the categories for the 2020 awards and a winner in one! Huge congratulations go to Yashmin Harun, a

Rare bird spotted in Valentines Park Birdwatch Walk

UPDATE: BBC2 featured our Turtle Dove during their Winterwatch programme on Friday 31 January at 8.30pm. On Saturday 25 January Vision’s Nature Conservation team partnered with the local North East London RSPB group to host a Big Garden Birdwatch Walk at Valentines Park. The event coincided with the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch campaign, which is

Successful community tree planting during National Tree Week

Vision RCL and Redbridge council partnered with Trees for Cities to plant new young trees across the borough this year, including Goodmayes Park and Orchard Playing Fields (formally Goodmayes Recreation Ground). To mark the beginning of National Tree Week, which ran from 23 November-1 December, Vision’s nature conservation team was joined by partners and volunteers

Vote for your favourite park in the People’s Choice Award 2019

Residents now have the chance to vote for their favourite Green Flag flying park in Redbridge as part of the People’s Choice 2019 awards. Organised by Keep Britain Tidy, the prestigious poll finds the nation’s top 10 parks from almost 2,000 awarded Green Flag Award status by the environment charity. In July, nine Redbridge parks

Redbridge raises nine Green Flags to mark the quality of its open spaces

Nine council parks and open spaces in Redbridge have again been confirmed as some of the best in the world after successfully retaining their coveted Green Flag award. The esteemed flags will be flying for another year in Claybury Park, Clayhall Park, Elmhurst Gardens, Goodmayes Park, Hainault Forest, Ilford War Memorial, Seven Kings Park, South

Vision’s partner The Orchard Project become BBC Food and Farming Award finalists

Vision’s Nature Conservation Ranger Team have been supported by partner The Orchard Project to help enrichen the community, work with local residents and volunteers to plant and maintain orchards in Claybury Park and other Redbridge parks. We are excited to share that The Orchard Project recently landed a place as one of three finalists in

Threatened species and ancient woodland set to thrive at Hainault Forest thanks to National Lottery

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £4.2 million to Redbridge Council to restore the forest to its former natural and wild state and help threatened species thrive, including eleven species of bat. Among them, the rare Barbastelle bat which was spotted there in 2017, the first time it had been seen in London for

Wanstead Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

South Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Ray Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Onslow Gardens

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Loxford Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Hainault Forest

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Goodmayes Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Elmhurst Gardens

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Crucible Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Clayhall Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Seven Kings Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.

Valentines Park

Barbecues are not permitted at any of our parks and open spaces.