Friends of Longford Park (FOLP)

Posted by rylands on June 29th, 2010 in 2009 People's Millions

The following news release was issued by Trafford Council on the 28th June 2010 :-

Work has begun on an exciting project to bring Longford Park back to life.

Students from Stretford Grammar School, with help from experts at Trafford Council, have started work on designs to transform the park’s rose garden.

This is part of a scheme which won the public vote and £50,000 in the Big Lottery Fund’s People’s Millions competition last year, promising to:

• Transform the deteriorating rose garden into a beautiful garden.
• Use the latest sustainable technology to restore running water to the ornamental rock gardens.
• Provide the opportunity for young people from local schools to be involved in all aspects of transforming the gardens.
• Develop an education pack for local schools.

To kick start the project, all Year 7 arts classes at the school visited the garden site and are now putting pens and brush to paper and using their imaginations to put down their vision of an exciting, attractive garden to visit.

A team of young designers from the school, working with Trafford Council’s landscape architects, will distil these ideas into a final design which should be ready by the end of July.

Executive Councillor John Reilly said: “We’re working closely with the Friends of Longford Park and Stretford Grammar School to bring this project to life over the next few months.

Longford Park is steeped in history. We want to maintain it as an historic site while making sure it is more sustainable to ensure it survives in to the future and continues to be well-loved and well-used.

This project is an important stepping stone to future improvements in Longford Park, as laid out in the Park’s Masterplan, and I’m really excited about seeing it come to fruition.

This is an excellent example of how the community coming together can really help make Trafford a greener Borough.”

Posted by rylands on December 7th, 2009 in 2009 People's Millions, Longford Park in the News

As reported in the Stretford and Urmston Messenger December 3rd 2009

THANKS to the support of Stretford residents, run-down Longford Park has won £50,000 to start bringing the historic site back up to scratch.

It was announced last Thursday that the park had won a public vote in the Big Lottery Fund’s People’s Millions competition to secure the cash.

The project will, say organisers – which includes the council and the Friends of Longford Park – breathe new life into the deteriorating rose garden; use the latest sustainable technology to restore running water to the ornamental rock gardens; provide the opportunity for young people from local schools to be involved in all aspects of transforming the gardens and help develop an education pack.

The project is an important stepping stone to future improvements in Longford Park as laid out in the council’s Park’s Masterplan.

Friends of Longford Park member, Margaret Westbrook, told SUM: “This is the first real extra money that we have managed to attract, having failed with the big Heritage Lottery bid last year.

“It effectively marks the start – but only the start – of many future possibilities.

“This is so very important as it will mark the beginning of constructive involvement of young people in our community.

“It also marks the beginning of an imaginative partnership between the school, the Friends, and Trafford Council.”

The money is designed to enable students to restore the Japanese water gardens using green technology and to redesign and replant the rose garden area which is somewhat worse for wear at present.

The council’s executive councillor for parks, Jonathan Coupe, also welcomed the cash injection: “I am delighted the bid was successful and would like to thank everyone who voted.

“The Friends group, local schools and council staff put a lot of hard work into this campaign and I’m now looking forward to seeing the project come to life.

“The council will continue to work with partners to secure more funding for projects like this one,” he said.

Posted by rylands on December 7th, 2009 in 2009 People's Millions, Longford Park in the News

As reported on December 1st 2009 by Kirsty Elleray (View the Article)

CAMPAIGNERS celebrated Longford Park winning the People’s Millions.

The park which borders Chorlton and Trafford has scooped £50,000 after ITV viewers voted it to be a worthy recipient.

The money which comes from the Big Lottery Fund will help transform areas of the park.

It will enable the deteriorating rose garden to be turned into a beautiful garden; allow the use of the latest sustainable technology to restore running water to the ornamental rock gardens; and enable pupils from south Manchester schools to get involved with transforming and maintaining the gardens.

Margaret Westbrook, from the Friends of Longford Park, said: “We are delighted to get the money – this is a dream come true and we’d like to thank all the people in Chorlton and Stretford who helped and who voted for us.”

Trafford Council, which had led the bid along with the Friends of Longford Park, Stretford Grammar School and other campaigners, says the money will form an important stepping stone to future improvements.

Executive councillor Jonathan Coupe said: “I am delighted that our bid was successful and would like to thank everyone who voted.

“The Friends group, local schools and council staff put a lot of hard work into this campaign and I’m now looking forward to seeing the project come to life.”

The campaigners’ plea for the money was filmed and shown on ITV on Wednesday, November 25. Their bid was one of five out of eight competing projects to be awarded money.

A spokesperson for the People’s Millions confirmed that Longford Park will receive the money once the administration processes have been completed.

Longford Park campaigners have been trying to raise £2 million to upgrade the park and have twice failed to secure £2 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A spokesperson for Trafford Council said they – along with other campaigners – would continue to look for new funding incomes.

Posted by rylands on November 7th, 2009 in 2009 People's Millions

Longford Park has won £50,000 to start bringing the historic site back to life! Thanks very much to everyone that voted in the People’s Millions to vote Longford Park.

More details coming soon …

A scheme to transform part of Longford Park has been shortlisted for a £50,000 Lottery award - and it needs your vote to secure the funding. The Council, Friends of Longford Park, Stretford Grammar School and other partners have come together to campaign for the Lottery’s People’s Millions funding and make the project come to life.

The scheme will feature on Granada TV’s evening news programme on Wednesday 25 November. Voting phone lines will open at 9am on this day and close at midnight. There will be full details of the scheme and how to vote at www.trafford.gov.uk and the voting telephone number will appear in the Daily Mirror and at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk on this day. Find out More >>>

For all the latest developments visit us on Facebook:- Vote Longford Park!

Posted by rylands on October 28th, 2009 in 2009 People's Millions, Longford Park in the News

The following news release was issued by Trafford Council on the 28th October 2009 :-

A scheme to transform part of Longford Park has been shortlisted for a £50,000 Lottery award - and it needs your vote to secure the funding.

The project would give the much-loved historic park a real boost by creating a beautiful garden in the former rose, ornamental and water gardens. This would become an educational resource for young people, with an education pack available for use by local schools.

And, in keeping with Trafford Council’s pledge to create a greener borough, planting methods best placed to respond to climate change would be used, creating a site fit-for-purpose for the 21st century and beyond.

The Council, Friends of Longford Park, Stretford Grammar School and other partners have come together to campaign for the Lottery’s People’s Millions funding and make the project come to life.

A statement from the Friends of Longford Park said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for the People’s Millions project that will enable young people to design an informative, sustainable and very appealing green space for the whole community. This reflects the historical significance of the Longford Estate as an example of land management for the benefit of all.”

The scheme will feature on Granada TV’s evening news programme on Wednesday 25 November. Voting phone lines will open at 9am on this day and close at midnight. There will be full details of the scheme and how to vote at www.trafford.gov.uk and the voting telephone number will appear in the Daily Mirror and at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk on this day.

Executive Councillor Jonathan Coupe said: “Local people are really passionate about Longford Park and this can be seen through the huge amount of support shown for the Masterplan that has been created to lay out a vision for its future.

“The garden project is just part of that Masterplan, and it would be fantastic to see it start to take shape and to see the community coming together to achieve this common goal. I’d encourage everyone to support this campaign to help us make Trafford a greener borough and a great place to live, learn, work and relax.”

You can find out more about The People’s Millions scheme at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk.