A focus group for older people was carried out at St John the Baptist Church Luncheon Club on Wednesday 18th May 2016.
Margaret Burrows, the organiser, kindly invited me to attend this afternoon and ask those there for their opinions regarding Onchan Park.
The age range was 70 to 95. There were 12 people at the luncheon club this is what they said.
1. What makes a visit to the park a pleasurable experience?
- We would like the park to be clean and tidy.
- Decent seating.
- No dog mess.
- Plenty of bins.
- Ideally would like a Park Keeper.
2. What sports facilities would you like to see?
- Nothing was suggested for their age range.
- We would like activities for the children, like an area for football so that they do not have to play on the streets or on the church grounds.
3. What play equipment would you like to see on the park?
- No specific equipment mentioned except a paddling pool.
- They all agreed just wanted things that children would enjoy playing on and would keep them off the streets.
4. Any ideas for the pavilion?
- We would like a cafeteria where we could buy snacks and drinks.
5. How can we incorporate nature/green space into the park to be enjoyed by all?
- We would like to see different events planned for the whole community.
- We would want wheelchair/disabled access to all areas of the park.
6. Have you had any problems on the park?
- No problems reported.
- But closing the park down was seen negatively as children would play in inappropriate and dangerous areas.
7. How long do you spend in the Park? What would make you spend more time?
- A garden area, flower beds.
- A pleasant environment for families where they could comfortably sit.
The whole group objected to the park being redeveloped for housing, all were in support of saving the park.
This chat at the Luncheon Club complements our other focus group work with the local schools and will help us with our proposal to save Onchan Park and pavilion.