΄Friends of Corfu΄ welcomes funding for Mon Repos

(Announcement) “The Friends of Corfu” Assciation expresses its great satisfaction with the inclusion of the project for the protection and enhancement of the Mon Repos Park in the “Ionian Islands 2021–2027” Programme.

This positive development represents an important moment for us, as the protection, enhancement, and sustainable management of the park have been a founding objective of the association since 2018. From the very beginning, we envisioned Mon Repos as “the best small-city park in Europe” — a vibrant space, open to the residents and visitors of Corfu, while preserving its distinctive natural, historical, and cultural character.

Within this framework, through the initiative and sponsorship of a founding member of the association, a preliminary study for Mon Repos Park was commissioned during our first years of operation to the specialised British planning and landscape architecture firm Gillespies, with the aim of ensuring the Park’s protection, enhancement, and long-term sustainability. Subsequently, the individual supporting studies were assigned to a respected Corfu-based consultancy firm.

Recognizing the park’s public character, we sought from an early stage to open the discussion to the local community by organising a public consultation process and an online questionnaire, with the aim of documenting both the current use of the space and the needs and expectations of Corfu residents for its future. The public response highlighted not only the strong interest in Mon Repos, but also the public's willingness to participate actively in its protection and improvement.

At every stage of the effort, we worked in close cooperation with the competent authorities, the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands, the Ephorate of Antiquities, and the relevant public services, with the shared goal of protecting and meaningfully upgrading Mon Repos for the benefit of the local community and visitors to the island.

We would especially like to thank the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands for the excellent cooperation, as well as everyone who contributed with consistency and commitment to advancing this important initiative for the future of Mon Repos and Corfu.

Now that funding has been secured, we look forward with optimism to the beginning of the works and the gradual implementation of a project that can breathe new life into one of Corfu’s most important public spaces, so that Mon Repos may once again become, step by step, a unique place of coolness, culture, and greenery — open, welcoming, and accessible to all.