Flying the flag for the borough’s award winning parks

Milnrow Park users Karen Austin and Irene Davidson

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Rochdale’s award winning parks raised their new green flags this week.

The Memorial Gardens, Broadfield Park and Packer Spout Gardens in the town centre and Hare Hill Park and Milnrow Memorial Park in Pennines, as well as Heywood’s Queen’s Park and Middleton’s Truffett Park and Boarshaw Cemetery were the eight in the borough which were awarded green flag status in July.

A Keep Britain Tidy initiative, the Green Flag Awards are handed to parks and green parks which meet the gold standard in a range of categories including facilities, management and community involvement.

Ann Beasley, Chairwoman of Friends of Broadfield Park, said: “The friends of Broadfield Park are really pleased to see that the park has retained its Green Flag status. The Friends meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the Broadfield Park Hotel to discuss future park improvements including additional play equipment, an outdoor gym area and sports provision..”

Walter Lomax, Chairman of the Friends of Queens Park, said: “It’s a great achievement for the park to achieve this prestigious award. The friends group and the council have worked hard to maintain a very high standard in Queens Park even during challenging times. We’re always looking for ideas to improve the park so that it can continue to win awards and remain a place that people derive great enjoyment from.”

David Nelson, Chairman of Friends of Boarshaw Cemetery, said: “This is a great achievement for our showpiece cemetery. The friends group has worked hard to ensure that Boarshaw Cemetery is a welcoming place, which is well maintained and contains beautiful conservation and heritage features which will create a comfortable environment for visiting families.”

Audrey Haddley, who regularly uses Milnrow Memorial Park, said: “I look forward to walking my dog Pepe each day around such a pleasant park and I have watched the park blossom over the years with all the improvements.”

Councillor Jacquie Beswick, Cabinet Member for Place and Regulation, said: “This fantastic achievement of maintaining excellent standards in our parks, even during difficult times really is the achievement of the friends groups with the help of the townships. It is down in very large part to all their commitment that the residents of our borough can enjoy such beautiful open spaces.” .

Anyone who would like to help improve the borough’s beautiful parks can do so by becoming a Green Volunteer or joining a local Friends Group. Alternatively, businesses can sponsor our Green Flag sites.