Friends of Ellis Dean Reserve (FEDS) is a working group of D'FAT, which was originally formed in 2003 with the aim to encourage social activities and improvements to Ellis Dean Reserve, New Norfolk.

Since 2003 through community consultation and obtaining multiple grant funding, D’FAT through the FEDS working group has made improvements to Ellis Dean Reserve; including a children’s playground, shelter with picnic table and public BBQ area, a basketball area and additional seating.  

D‘FAT also maintains a legal graffiti wall at this park and reports vandalism and removes graffiti from items that D’FAT has established in the park.
D’FAT members continued with this project during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 

Please find below a statement from the D’FAT Chair Person (Nic Kaiser) regarding the Friend of Ellis Dean Reserve (FEDS) project:

“Over the past year, Derwent Valley Youth Future Action Team (D’FAT) has done the best that they could in difficult circumstances in regards to maintaining and improving Ellis Dean Reserve”. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, from April until June 2020, D’FAT did not remove graffiti and litter from areas at Ellis Dean Reserve. However a highlight in 2020 was Derwent Valley Council accepting D’FAT’s 2019 Ellis Dean Reserve Survey results. A survey held and completed by 62 residents to determine further improvements to Ellis Dean Reserve”.

“D’FAT hopes that Ellis Dean Reserve becomes a multi-use park, an acceptable place where children and young people can play on the equipment, ride a bike over the dirt jumps, use the BBQ, play basketball and use the skatepark”.