New community garden opens

A FAMILY fun day marked the official opening of a community garden at Warrington.
Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) and partners welcomed residents to the event at Densham Community Garden in Longford.
Over the past two years the park has been given a huge transformation, turning what was an unloved and tired old park into a new vibrant and attractive community garden.
More than 250 people attended the opening, many of who had played a key role in planning the work.
They were able to enjoy an array of activities and fun for all the family including arts and crafts, face painting, refreshments and bouncy castles as well as receiving information on local services.
Work to transform the park started in February 2012 with the installation of underground flood water storage tanks as part of flood defence works that needed to be carried out by Warrington Borough Council and the Environment Agency.
The next phase of the work involved replacing the old boundary wall, which was falling down in certain areas and had become a health and safety risk. Residents were consulted and they chose a solid brick wall with ridged coping stones.
After the work was completed, GGHT and Groundwork Cheshire consulted the local community on what they wanted in the new garden. The result was a community garden with wild flowers and a seating area. Residents also suggested that a mosaic was added to the garden and an artist was commissioned to work with the Children’s Society to involve children and families on the estate to create a design.
GGHT chairman Roy Smith said: “It is fantastic to see the opening of the Community Garden and to see the continued improvements that GGHT and our partners have been able to make as part of our Longford Quality of Life project. As a keen gardener myself it is really great to see a wonderful green space for the local community garden to use. I wish many happy memories to come.”
Pictured: The Mayor, Cllr Peter Carey opens the garden with children from the local area, YVOW (Young Voices of Warrington Youth Panel) and GGHT Youth Panel.