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Community Champion: Irene Shearer is determined to protect the ‘people’s park’ of Dundee

Irene Shearer is the founder of Friends of Baxter Park. Mhairi Edwards/DCT Media

Irene Shearer is dedicated to ensuring Baxter Park remains “the people’s park of Dundee”.

She loves it so much she founded Friends of Baxter Park and is delighted more and more people across the city now consider it their own special place.

“I wanted to get involved because this is the people’s park of Dundee, I’m one of the people of Dundee, therefore it’s my park,” she said.

“I would like everybody who comes in to this park to think the same thing.”

She added: “The 7th Cubs came in to plant daffodils for their 50th anniversary, so they think that’s their bit of the park.

“The pupils in the Morgan that put those QR codes on the benches, they think the benches belong to them.

Irene community champion
The group was formed to save the park. Mhairi Edwards/DCT Media

“The more people who can get ownership on the park, the less chance there is anything antisocial happening.”

The group, set up in 2003, not only preserve the gardens, but also host community events and clubs in the pavilion and in the park.

Forming Friends of Baxter Park

Baxter Park was opened in 1863 and is one of only three surviving complete Paxton parks in the UK.

While it is now a jewel in Dundee’s parks crown, it was largely ignored by Dundee City Council before Irene helped to set up Friends of Baxter Park.

“The group started with a bang,” Irene said, laughing.

“At the start, the council wanted to do all this regeneration. They hired a firm of architects.

Irene Community Champion
The group helps with the upkeep of the park as well as organising community events. Mhairi Edwards/DCT Media

“They went around this park with fluorescent pink paint and they painted two dots on some trees and crosses on others.

“Now, none of us knew what two pink dots mean – but we certainly knew what a cross did. And one of the crosses was on the big sycamore tree with the bench around it.

“I, as founding chair, asked for the council to come up and meet us and they said they would on a Saturday morning.

“So we publicised it and had a whole group of people show up to wait – and nobody turned up.

“The only person here was one of the park rangers. So they’d been able to find out that two dots meant pruning, and a cross coming out and I thought ‘oh no you don’t’.

Baxter Park
Baxter park, shown here in 1932, was opened in 1868.

“They wanted to take out the perfectly healthy sycamore and put in two corkscrew oaks to make it look nice and symmetrical.

“That whole conflict arrived because Dundee City Council had ignored it for 30 years and thought nobody paid it any attention.

“They didn’t realise there was groups of people who love this park.

“So that got us started because lots of people got involved because people love a fight.”

Helping to care for the park

After it underwent more than £3 million in refurbishment, the group focused on educating more people about the park and trying to get people to spend more time in it.

“We teach people about the flora and fauna that are in the park,” Irene explained.

“Basically we’re trying to teach the children not to chase the squirrels and the birds as they have more right to be here than they do, because this is their house.

“We try to teach people that the beasties and bats need darkness.

Friends of baxter park
Baxter Park was recently given the Green Flag award for the quality of the park. DCT Media

“So we’re trying to teach them that yes, this is a park, but it’s not just like your back green. Nature and us have to live together.”

She added: “The history of the park, I know there is a bit of an issue with how the Baxter’s made their money but we wouldn’t have this park if it hadn’t been for them.”

Working for the community

The park regularly hosts events for the community, including kids groups and holiday craft clubs. The annual Dundee bonfire night is also hosted in the park by the group.

“It’s all affordable,” Irene said. “We raise enough to cover costs but we want to make sure no one is excluded due to not being able to afford it.”

Irene fell in love with the park after moving to Dundee from rural Fife.

“My best friend lived three-and-a-half miles away, it was almost two miles to the nearest bus stop,” she said.

“Most people think they’d want to live in the countryside, unless you grew up there!

“But I now live on Baxter Park Terrace and it’s the perfect mix.

“This is like the country side – if you want quiet and peace you can come out here. If you need a pint of milk, there’s a shop halfway along the street.”

Keeping it in the family

Irene’s love of Baxter Park has become a family affair.

She said: “My son Nick also volunteers. He’s been helping since he was 10.

“Now that he works as a gardener for the council, he’s now our horticultural expert for our spring grove.”

“He keeps threatening to leave as a member so he can get paid for it,” Irene laughed.

Baxter park bonfire night
Bonfire night is usually held in the park. DCT Media.

Irene said that volunteering with Friends of Baxter Park and giving back to the community made her happy.

“I just enjoy it,” she added.

“I love the social bit, I love meeting people, seeing them having fun.

“Families can do something that doesn’t cost a lot of money. The kids go home tired, the parents go home because the kids have had a lovely day.

“It’s just – I don’t actually know. I enjoy making other people happy.

“Sometimes it’s a chore with everything you have to prepare. Then the event happens and there’s such a buzz.

“When it’s the Halloween event and the kids all come in with their costumes. Then they get to go home with masks and decorations they’ve made.

“And you have a mum turn round and say this is the first Halloween decorations they’ve had since she moved out from the abusive marital home.

“You just think that’s the reason I do this.”