In 2008 the Friends overturned a Royal Parks’ planning application to award a contract to GOALS to build 5-aside football pitches in the area of the Golf & Tennis school that had existed for over 100 years.
Westminster Council refused permission commenting that they had received an unprecedented number of objections to the plan. In 2019 GOALS company collapsed having overstated its profits by £40 million, been accused of a tax accounting scandal and been de-listed by the London Stock Exchange.
Mark Elliott offered to organise a concert on the bandstand, supported by the Friends who paid the Park fee of £125. The Bandstand had not been used for many years because local bands couldn’t sell tickets to afford the Park fee.
In 2018 the Friends raised £10,000 in sponsorship and organised 12 concerts persuading the Park to waive their fee. In 2019 the number increased to 26 concerts featuring groups such as the Rock Choir and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra with an audience of 15,000. The Friends paid 50% of the cost of refurbishing the Bandstand and helped to recruit volunteers to act as Site Supervisors.
Over the years the Friends has planted a number of trees including oaks behind the summit of Primrose Hill and near the Broadwalk. Trees have also been planted to recognise the contributions of Michael Goldhill and Malcolm Kafetz.
In 2015, Friends Volunteers helped with mulching over 75 of the Park’s growing trees, contributing to a surge of wildlife on the Park grounds that they had previously lacked.
Thank you to our sponsors
©2026 Friends of Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill
Friends of Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 1201666)
