Outdoor photo gallery coming to Oaklands Park this summer

Finalists of this year’s Space to Thrive photo competition will get to see their work displayed in a unique outdoor gallery in Oaklands Park next month. 

The gallery, which will be free to visit, will be made up of beautiful images taken by Chelmsford residents that perfectly capture the competition’s theme of bees, pollinators and insects.

From the many entries, seven images have been shortlisted by competition judges Cllr Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford, photographer Tony Briggs and Brian Spencer, Chair of the Chelmsford Beekeepers Association. Before the gallery opens, the public can help choose the overall winning image by casting a vote for their favourite in an online poll. To vote, visit the Love Your Chelmsford website. Voting closes at midnight on Tuesday 5 August and the winner will be announced at a special event at Oaklands Park on Friday 8 August.

After judging the competition entries, Councillor Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford said:

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“Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Space to Thrive photo competition. It was difficult to choose the finalists from the many wonderful images submitted, but we felt that these stunning shots all celebrate the quiet choreography of pollinators and the vital habitats that sustain them. Each image also reflects an element of the rich biodiversity woven throughout Chelmsford’s green spaces, from garden pond to parklands; all havens, all living galleries!

As summer unfolds across our district, I hope such inspirational images, displayed in the beautiful setting of Oaklands Park will encourage everyone to slow down a little, get out into the wild, explore and reconnect with the natural world that sustains us all too.”

Cllr Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener Chelmsford

Celebration event at Oaklands Park

To mark the opening of the Space to Thrive outdoor gallery, a special family-friendly event will be hosted by Love Your Chelmsford in Oaklands Park on Friday 8 August from 10.30am.

Come along on the day to enjoy fun, free craft activities, including making bee bookmarks and mindful nature colouring. Little explorers will be able to enjoy a Pollinator Code Treasure Hunt trail around the park, searching out hidden wildlife pictures and taking note of the symbol on the back of each one to decipher a code! 

The Chelmsford Beekeepers will be at the event with a model of the inside of a hive and offering beeswax candle making sessions. These sessions will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Visitors will also be able to see the two huge bee sculptures that are resident in the park as part of the Buzz in the City sculpture art trail. 

Learn lots more about bees, pollinators and insects on Friday 8 August at Oaklands Park.

Visiting the gallery and Oaklands Park

The Space to Thrive gallery will be open to the public every day from Friday 8 August until Tuesday 2 September during Oaklands Park opening hours and is free to visit.

Oaklands Park boasts a large open grass area for sports and picnicking, tennis courts, play areas, the award-winning Echo Garden, and traditional ornamental gardens. It holds both Green Flag and Green Heritage status.

The park is also home to the Museum of Chelmsford, where visitors can explore Chelmsford's history, from the Ice Age right through to the present day, with collections including a rare Roman ‘hoodie’ figurine and stunning art by a Turner Prize winner. There is a small admission fee for adults visiting the museum.

There is limited parking on site but the park is a short walk from the city centre and is well served by local bus routes. 

There's lots to discover and enjoy at Oaklands Park this summer.

About Space to Thrive

Space to Thrive is a district-wide initiative aimed at tackling the climate emergency by giving nature and wildlife the chance to thrive again. A key part of this work involves supporting habitat creation and managing 1,700 acres of grassland to help restore ecosystems and boost biodiversity. The council is focused on creating more wildlife friendly areas and establishing nature corridors to support essential pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and other insects. These corridors are vital in allowing pollinators to move safely between habitats.

If you’d like to find out more about Space to Thrive, visit the Love Your Chelmsford website.