Competitions

Half Term Hedgehog Competition – Winner

Over half term we ran a competition for children under 12 to spot our six hedgehog posters in the park and to tell us why they want to help hedgehogs.  They were then entered in a draw to win a hedgehog home for their garden or school.  Ella (6) is the winner – she braved the rain and her entry included a photo of herself with each of the posters. She has won a hedgehog home for her garden and we have given her one for her school too, Trafalgar.  Annie (10) was the runner up and has won a hedgehog home for Kingslea, as she gave such a lovely description of why their school field with hedges and a copse would be a great place for hedgehogs to hibernate. Congratulations to them both! 

You can still spot the posters (designed by Stefen Hepburn) in the park? Some are on trees. Here are some clues:

1. A great place to play and try out the new equipment
2. Where you can test how strong you are
3. Near a footpath entrance and close by is a stack of old logs where there’s lots of food for hedgehogs
4. A secluded spot with hedges – great for hedgehogs
5. Near the wedding cake tree – watch out for flying balls
6. Yum, yum – a great place to end your hedgehog spotting!

Click here for a fact sheet on Helping hedgehogs

Winner of the Collyer’s Photographic Competition

We have  awarded a photographic prize to Tilly Stone.  Three of her photos were shortlisted for the award (see the gallery below) and the winning photo was a stunning sky with low sun and trailing clouds over Horsham Park.  

The competition was organised for The College of Richard Collyer – for students and staff – we wanted their talented photographers to capture what they love about the  park.  The entries were of a very high standard and it was difficult shortlisting the photos.  There were some dazzling ones of light through the trees and collages of colourful leaves and flowers.  We loved the quirky images and intriguing lighting effects which gave familiar places a new perspective. 

The competition was such a success that we are running it again this year – twice!  If you have photos you’d like to share for the Spring and Summer competition, please send them to us by 1 July so we can add them to our gallery page. 

Poetry Competition

We ran a Poetry Competition for the Year of Culture 2019.   We asked people to submit either their own poem, or one of their favourite poems to display at our new Poet’s Corner next to Park House. 

Poets’ Corner in Horsham Park, a year of Culture project. The seats display 12 poems.

The opening lines of Julia Donaldson’s popular ‘Stickman’ is on one of the seats at Poets’ Corner.

We were delighted with the number of responses and the quality of the original poems submitted, especially as many were written about Horsham Park.  The winning poems are now on display on the tree trunks in Poets’ Corner alongside the local greats: Percy Bysshe Shelley, Hilaire Belloc and Julia Donaldson.

The shortlisted ones were displayed on a poetry trail around the park over the summer. 

The winning poems are  listed below with photos from the awards ceremony.  If you can’t get to the park to read the poems, they can be downloaded here.  Winning Poems

Adult competition

1. Maurice Packham, sonnet entitled HORAS NON NUMERO NISI SERENAS which is the is the motto on the sundial in Park House Garden and means ‘I count not the hours unless they be happy’.  His poem was sponsored by Freeman Brothers.
2. Hannah Valente, Swallows in Horsham Park, sponsored by Courtney Green
3. Rod Cuming, Plenty to do, sponsored by The Black Jug

Winners of the adult competition with Kate Rowbottom, Chairman of Horsham District Council and Sally Sanderson, Chair of FoHP, at the awards ceremony

Senior school competition

1. Nadia Henning, Eye Contact, sponsored by Breathe
2. Luke Jackson, Nature Takes Refuge, sponsored by Horsham Society
3. Jess Hollingworth, Memory Lane, sponsored by Martin & Co

Senior School winners at the awards ceremony

Junior school competition

1. Izzy Cadman, Autumn and Winter, sponsored by Horsham Denne Neighbourhood Council
2. Hannah Shelton, Noises in the Park, sponsored by China Brasserie
3. Saffron Ayley, Raindrop, sponsored by Leasehold Management Ltd

Junior School winners at the awards ceremeony

Bee Blooming Bold

Debbie Hepburn was the winner of our Bee Blooming Bold competition.  This competition was to create a bee-friendly planting scheme for the raised flower bed in the park near High Places.   The fabulous bed incorporates a bug hotel at the centre.  If you would like to download the design Bee Blooming Bold Poster

For the story of how Debbie’s winning designs came to life, with help from the Friends’ Wednesday morning volunteers and the Strawford Centre, visit our Facebook page

The bee friendly bed at the end of the summer.