Colchester's parks, cemeteries and open spaces have been looked after by council-owned Amphora since 1 November, with about 40 former Idverde staff moving over.

Colchester’s parks, sports grounds, cemeteries and open spaces have been looked after by Amphora, the company wholly owned by Colchester City Council, since 1 November, and around 40 former Idverde employees have moved across with the work.

Council and Amphora staff marked the handover with two volunteering days in Castle Park on 2 and 3 November, clearing fallen leaves and planting hundreds of spring bulbs alongside the grounds teams, the council said.

What the service covers

The grounds maintenance service looks after almost 13,000 assets across more than 870 hectares of land in Colchester, according to the council. That includes parks, sports grounds, open spaces, housing land, cemeteries and the Crematorium.

The council says keeping the work inside its own company keeps investment in the local area and gives it “greater flexibility to respond to local priorities and explore new ways of enhancing the city’s parks and green spaces”.

The transfer of staff, it says, is meant to ensure “a seamless transition and continued high standards across the city’s parks and open spaces”.

A group of staff in orange and yellow hi-vis jackets gathered on the grass in Castle Park, listening to a briefing beside nets of bulbs and a white Amphora van
Council staff, Amphora staff and volunteers being briefed before the bulb planting in Castle Park. Photo: Rae Shirley, supplied by Colchester City Council

Bulbs for the spring

The bulbs planted over the two days are expected to flower next spring and, the council says, will give pollinators an important source of food as well as colour in the park. Staff from across the council and Amphora also got a first-hand look at the work and met the people who look after the city’s green spaces.

Cllr Martin Goss, the council’s Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhoods and Leisure, said: “This was a great opportunity to welcome our new grounds maintenance colleagues into the Amphora and wider council family following the transfer of the service.

“While the volunteering activities have brought an additional benefit to Castle Park, the day was really about bringing people together, helping colleagues understand the vital work carried out across our parks and open spaces, and marking the start of this exciting new chapter for grounds maintenance in Colchester.”

Staff in orange hi-vis planting bulbs on the grass in front of Colchester Castle, with autumn trees and nets of bulbs on the ground
Amphora and council staff planting bulbs on the grass in front of Colchester Castle. Photo: Rae Shirley, supplied by Colchester City Council

“More than changing logos on vehicles”

Gordon Wade, who managed the move as Grounds Maintenance Mobilisation Manager for Amphora’s new service, said: “My role has been to oversee the mobilisation of the service and make sure everything is in place for a smooth transition. Thanks to the hard work of colleagues across Amphora, the council and the grounds maintenance team, we’ve been able to achieve that while retaining the skills, experience and local knowledge that are so important to the service.

“Seeing staff from across the organisation come together in Castle Park has been a fitting way to mark this milestone. It demonstrates the shared commitment we have to maintaining and enhancing the green spaces that matter so much to Colchester residents.”

Two grounds staff in orange hi-vis, one holding a spade, leaning on an Amphora tipper truck in front of Colchester Castle
Two Amphora grounds staff with one of the new Amphora tipper trucks beside Colchester Castle. Photo: Rae Shirley, supplied by Colchester City Council

Vanessa Moffat, Interim Chair and Board Director at Amphora, said: “The transfer of the service is about much more than changing logos on vehicles. It’s about bringing people together to care for the spaces residents value most. It was fantastic to see colleagues from across Amphora and the council getting involved, working alongside our grounds teams and making a real contribution to Castle Park.

“The bulbs planted this week will brighten the park next spring and provide valuable support for pollinators, creating a lasting reminder of the partnership behind this new chapter.”

The side of a white van with the Amphora name on it, parked in Castle Park with Colchester Castle and grounds staff behind
A new Amphora-branded van in Castle Park, with Colchester Castle behind. Photo: Rae Shirley, supplied by Colchester City Council

What it means for you

  • Familiar faces, a new name. Around 40 of the people working in the city’s parks and open spaces are former Idverde staff who have moved across to Amphora.
  • New livery. Grounds vans and trucks now carry the Amphora name.
  • Colour in Castle Park next spring. Hundreds of bulbs went in this week.
  • Castle Park has other work on the way: the council aims to have the boating lake back in use by spring 2027.

Amphora already runs other services for the council, including the Castle Summer Series concerts through Amphora Events and the full-fibre network on Mersea Island through Amphora Connect.

A white Amphora van parked behind shrubs and a cedar tree, with a grounds worker in orange hi-vis beside it
An Amphora van and a grounds worker among the planting. Photo: Rae Shirley, supplied by Colchester City Council

Source: Colchester City Council press release, 6 November 2026. Photographs by Rae Shirley.