Growing up: youngsters’ planting project puts finishing touches to park facelift

A QUIET corner of Shaw is set to become bloomin’ lovely thanks to pupils from East Crompton St James Primary School.

The youngsters helped plant colourful native wildflowers to put finishing touches to the newly refurbished Lees Street Pocket Park.

Under supervision from teachers and Groundwork Trust staff, they introduced a number of plants to the area including wild strawberries.

Money for the project – which has also seen new benches installed, new block paving put down and re-surfacing works to the former dilapidated park – was provided by Shaw and Crompton councillors and the government’s Pocket Parks Plus fund.

Groundwork’s Adam Holt said: “We tried to retain the initial layout but without adding increased maintainance costs for the Council. And if possible reduce them.

“Prior to being onsite a lot of the timber uprights, which had been here for about 20 years, had rotted and collapsed.

“There was a mass of overgrown evergreen shrubs coming over onto the path.

“The benches were rotten and the whole infrastructure of the park had seen better days.”

Shaw councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “This is an excellent example of Parish and borough councillors working together to benefit local residents.

“Using Groundwork we bid for some grant funding and then match funded it locally.

“We now have a much-improved pocket park for local residents and have smartened up a very visible area of Shaw that many people will benefit from.”

• Groundwork, an independent registered charity, helps people and organisations make changes in order to create better neighbourhoods, to build skills and job prospects, and to live and work in a greener way.”

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