Mansfield Harriers return to Berry Hill Park
Mansfield Harriers are returning to their home track at Berry Hill Park after an eight-year absence after being evicted in 2012.
The athletics club is to be granted a lease to use the track and pavilion at the Nottinghamshire venue courtesy of the new trustees of the park, Mansfield District Council.
It is great news for a club that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
It will cost the club £500 a year and they will also have to pay a proportion of the service charges for repairs work, for instance. However, Mansfield Harriers can now also apply for funding to pay for improvements to the facilities.
Local volunteers group, the Friends of Berry Hill Park, is supporting the proposed lease between the Trust and Harriers and the group is already in discussion with the Harriers around what works can be undertaken to improve Berry Hill Park and make it more attractive to local people.
The good news follows a long period of disgruntlement after Mansfield Harriers were effectively evicted from the track in 2012 following a dispute with the former trustees of Berry Hill Park over the usage of the facility. Previously, the club had been using the venue since 1958.
Pat Carlan, Chairman of Mansfield Harriers, said: "This a great opportunity for the Harriers to return to Berry Hill Park and promote the health and wellbeing of the local community.
“Mansfield Harriers would have been celebrating 100 years of athletics in Mansfield this year had it not been for the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in. We now have the opportunity to develop both the club and the park.
“Next year will be an Olympic year which will attract interest and the club will be in a position to promote events in the park and look forward to working closely with the council to make sure that this benefits the community.
“Improvements to the current facilities are expected to start in the new year, thanks to grants received by the club’s president, John Radford, England Athletics, English Cross Country Association, Veolia, Saucony UK, Nottinghamshire Amateur Athletics Association, Mansfield District Council and Mansfield Harriers AC."
As well as track and field, the park is also the long-time host venue for the annual Saucony English Cross Country Relay Championships (pictured), although it was called off this winter due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Over recent years this popular national cross-country event has also had problems in continuing to stage the event at Berry Hill Park, too, although lately relationships between the organisers and the trustees of the park have been good.
READ MORE: Home of English Cross Country Relays under threat
Cllr Andy Burgin, portfolio holder for environment and leisure, said: "Leasing these facilities to the Harriers should open the door to improvements at the athletics track at Berry Hill Park. This has to be a good thing for Mansfield and will encourage many more visitors to the park.
"It is very much in line with council priorities to improve the health and wellbeing of local people and to make Mansfield a greener and cleaner place.
"We look forward to working with the club and Friends group to raise the profile of the park and encourage more people to use it and take up sport and physical activity."
