Celebrating 10 years of Falkirk district's 'much-loved' Helix Park home of The Kelpies

Helix Day on September 14, 2013 celebrated the opening of Helix Park with nearly 20,000 people attending on what was a sunny day. The event saw community art projects meet popular artists to create a series of colourful spectacles across the park.

The opening celebration was the first of many community events which the park would go on to host over the next ten years. There’s been everything from charity fundraising walks and runs to outdoor theatre, large scale community events like the popular Emergency Services Days and STEM at the Helix as part of Falkirk Science Festival and the popular Fire and Light shows. It’s also become home to the area’s Junior Parkrun every Sunday morning.

The list of events that have taken place there over the past decade is long, and it continues to grow as the green space is well used by both the local communities and visitors from further afield.

Of course, it’s not just about the organised events – the Helix is hugely popular with those who just enjoy spending time outdoors as it offers an ideal space for walking, cycling and relaxing.

An idea back in 2003 to transform 350 hectares of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into an ecopark as part of the Falkirk Greenscape Initiative led to the creation of The Helix.

It was a project that saw Falkirk Council, Central Scotland Forest Trust and British Waterways Scotland (now Scottish Canals) come together with support from conceptual designers to create a masterplan for a unique outdoor greenspace.

In November 2007 The Helix was awarded the maximum £25 million grant from the Big Lottery’s Living Landmarks programme – it was one of only three UK projects to receive a share of the cash.

From there work began to transform the space into the Helix we all know of today.

Of course, when the park first opened its world-renowned mythical equine residents were not in situ, with the Kelpies still under construction in 2013 along with the Queen Elizabeth II extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal. It wasn’t until the following year that they were complete.

The 30m high sculptures continue to draw visitors to the outdoor space and have helped make it a popular tourist attraction which has won several awards over the years.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council, said: “The Helix is an amazing attraction and outdoor space that offers excitement, leisure and events that attract people from across Scotland, the UK and internationally. It is home to the world-renowned Kelpies and a much-loved green space enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

“The land previously was vacant and derelict and of little use but following a successful National Lottery bid, it was transformed into the amazing venue that it has been for the past ten years.

“All of these factors lead it to being justified in having its five-star credentials and this brings significant value to tourism in the Falkirk area and supporting local businesses and suppliers. Along with other venues and locations in the Falkirk area, we are confident that its value to our local economy will continue to grow.

“We look forward to many, many more anniversaries in the coming decades for the Helix to celebrate and will continue to be an iconic attraction for our area.”

Lesely O’Hare, Falkirk Council’s cultural services manager added: “Our eyes continue to be on the future, and we have a strong focus on driving the business forward, developing new events and creating opportunities for small businesses and social enterprises to help us animate the site. Plans are underway to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the international launch of the Kelpies in April 2024.”