'Daisy Roots and Welly Boots' project awarded funding

Date published: 10 December 2023

A community-led project in Rochdale has been awarded funding from the Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund.

Vintage Worx Community Development Trust is one of 18 successful applicants to receive backing in the final round of the fund, enabling community groups to improve local green spaces to benefit people from across the area. 

The schemes – all of which will be accessible to local people – will also encourage residents to get involved in nature recovery, from volunteering opportunities to building green skills.

The ‘Daisy Roots and Welly Boots’ project will turn an unused, overgrown former tip area of Falinge Park into a functional community growing space for residents who live in an environment of multi-storey flats and terraced housing, mostly devoid of private gardens.

Director Tracie Powers said the area is currently "a haven for fly-tipping, underage drinking and drug use" despite Vintage Worx's Green Hub team members continually tidying and cleaning the area.

She said: "When our open days showed community residents wanted a secure greenspace, we knew we could make this area perfect for what everyone wanted.

"There was no money available to help with this so we looked at various funding streams and found the GMEF was an ideal match. We worked with Abigail Williams, the fund advisor for Rochdale, throughout the application process, and I have to say she is awesome."

Conversations with residents and other park users have confirmed they would like to be involved in creating a secure community growing space within the park, where they can learn about gardening, take part in green activities, and meet new people. 

The project will unite people of all ages, abilities, and cultures, increase people’s environmental awareness and improve health and wellbeing.

Tracie added: "To find out we have been awarded the funding is huge. I'm not going to give all the secrets away of what we are hoping to create yet - our launch will do that. I can say it will be a true community-led project and will create a very magical place that will be accessible to everyone."

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The natural environment is critical to the health of Greater Manchester’s communities and the prosperity of our economy.

“That’s why we put the environment at the heart of our Greater Manchester Strategy – our vision for a greener, fairer, more prosperous city region.

“The projects backed by the Green Spaces Fund over the last year and a half are always brilliant and demonstrate the creativity and passion of residents across the city region wanting to make Greater Manchester a better, and crucially, greener, place to live.

“These projects ensure everyone can access the benefits of green spaces, for both individuals and communities, and I look forward to these latest projects taking shape.”

For more information or to get involved in the green hub members at Vintage Worx create the new community greenspace, please get in touch either by email (vintageworxoffice@gmail.com) or by phone 07760354698.