We brighten up your town!
Ventnor Enhancement Fund was created as a charity in 2006 to add those small embellishments to the town that official bodies do not provide.
Generous donations and support from residents and businesses, together with grants from the Big Lottery have enabled this work to proceed, with at least one major project per year. In this period of austerity, the activities of VEF have become even more important.
The work is carried out by a small group of volunteers, who have gained immense satisfaction from the experience of beautifying the town and adding extra facilities.
Projects we've tackled in the past
- Ventnor Park lighting (In 2022 Ventnor Town Council agreed to take over payment of the electricity bill but we continue to maintain the lighting and bandstand power supplies)
- Cascade lighting (We handed this over to Ventnor Town Council in 2018)
- Ventnor Park aviary (2014-2021). Maintenance involved feeding, budgie food and cleaning out
- “Run England” 1km running course in Ventnor Park (2014)
- Flowersbrook pond, stream and waterfall (2013-2014). Extensive regular maintenance undertaken
- Triangular exotic flowerbeds outside Royal and Eversley hotels. Added narcissi and plants (2019-2020)
- Barbecue above La Falaise car park
- Esplanade raised flowerbeds. Extensive planting (2015) and routine maintenance
- Designed and marked out the Dinosaur labyrinth (2015) and routinely re-mark it every two to four weeks
- Restored the Gnomon on the esplanade (2015) and promptly attend to any rust breakthrough
- Mosaics in Central car park. We have maintained the old church arches above since 2015
- Flowerbeds alongside Central car park. This involves regular weeding and planting.
- Planters in town centre (2014-5). We always maintain these in bloom and treat woodwork
- Troughs on High Street railings near clock shop (2019-on)
- Working with the Town Council we organised the acquisition and fitting of hanging baskets in the town centre (2019)
- Refurbished benches next to aviary and in Park Avenue (both in 2015)
- Obtained funding for Out-fit open air gymnasium
- Sea Breeze play park
- Sea Breeze play park fencing (2020)
- Stokey’s Solar System Walk (2015). Brought up-to-date with new plaques and ‘Sun’ in 2018
- Designed cards for Stokey’s Walk. Funded the manufacture of boxes for holding them (Sheds)
- Decorated La Falaise car park shelter (May 2016) and installed pictorial history of the area (2017)
- Decorated Barbecue shelter (August 2016)
- Decorated Cascade shelter (October 2016). Finally succeeded in getting the roof replaced (2020)
- Planted 7500 crocuses (October 2016)
- Installed displays in empty shop windows (2017-9)
- Cleared triangular planted area at the top of Grove Road (2018). Shaped bushes, removed weeds and maintain it. Added narcissi.
- Planted narcissi and daffodils at the intersection of Zig-zag Road and Alpine Road, and at top and bottom of Castle Road
- Cleaned up Toposcope in Salisbury Gardens and added plaque showing history (2020)
- Extensively filled, sealed and painted the esplanade arches (2020-21)
- Planted Japanese cherry trees in various locations around Ventnor (2022)
- Initiated the restoration by BT of red telephone boxes on Church Hill and in The Grove (2022)
- Financed restoration of the drinking fountain at the bottom of The Cascade (2023)
Come and join us - we're a friendly bunch.
We hold monthly meetings in which we plan our short-term and long-term project work and fundraising activities. Work parties are arranged to tackle new and routine projects which often involves painting and decorating or gardening. Generally these teams consist of only a few people, but a morning’s hard work is enough to make a big difference.
Our fundraising activities can be quite labour-intensive but are usually great fun and lucrative.
We maintain regular contact with Ventnor Town Council, offering mutual support.
