Friends of Whirlow Brook Park (FoWP) was initiated in February 2021 and constituted in September 2021. The group became a Registered Charity, No 1204004, on 17 July 2023. It is one of over 80 Friends groups who look after parks and open spaces in Sheffield, with the encouragement and support of the landowner, Sheffield City Council Parks and Countryside Department. It was conceived by members of Sheffield u3a who have restored the area around the rock garden and upper pond, but who recognised that the remainder of the 39 acre park was becoming increasingly neglected due to lack of resources.
FoWP is a separate entity, with its own constitution, management committee and group of volunteers. It will work and operate in close cooperation with colleagues in Parks and Countryside.
Objects of FoWP as a Charity
The charity’s objects (‘the objects’) are to promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment at Whirlow Brook Park and the surrounding woodland and waterways.
Our Constitution can be found by clicking here and our current Strategic Plan can be found by clicking here.
Kings Award
On 14 November 2025 we were delighted to receive The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Volunteers
We have about 25 regular volunteers who work in the Park on Saturdays (once a month, usually the first Saturday of the month) and Mondays (twice a month, usually the second and third Mondays of the month). . From January 2025 we are running four volunteer sessions a month. We also have a session working on our Community Orchard project on the third Saturday of each month.You can read more on our Volunteering page and find the schedule of sessions on our Events page. Details of our current projects can be found on our Current Projects page.
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Management Committee
The current membership of our Management Committee is as follows:
- Chair – Shelagh Woolliscroft
- Secretary – Roger Lasko
- Treasurer – Chris Cave
- Publicity and Events – Maggie Girling
- Membership – David Jordan
- Projects – Nick Goffin
- Volunteering – Barry Wiles
Shelagh Woolliscroft, Roger Lasko and Chris Cave are the trustees of the FoWP Charity.
Patrons
Our Patrons are Sir Jamie Benton Jones, pictured on the left below, and Andrew Renwick, on the right.
Sir Jamie is a great grandson of Madge Benton Jones whose brother Percy Fawcett built the Hall. Madge took over the Hall in 1919 when Percy moved to.Dore Moor House. Andrew is descended from Percy’s brother Alfred, who lived at Standhills, the adjacent property to the rear of Whirlow Brook. See our History page to read more about the family’s connection to the Park.
