Friends group needed for community project

Father Paul Daly is looking for residents in the Heywood area to come together and support a project to restore the yard and kick path in Darn Hill.

Father Daly came up with the idea as a way of celebrating 50 years of Darn Hill but his plans have been put on hold as a friends group is needed to apply for funding.

Father Daly is looking for a handful of local residents interested in the project to come together to help form the group. He said: “We need local residents who would be happy to see and support the work to form a friends group of the kick path. That way we can apply for funding for the area and really improve it.”

A friends of group is a group of local people who voluntarily work to maintain and improve a specific area.

Currently the area is looking run down and is unusable in the dark winter night as there are currently no working lights. Father Daly added: “The area is in use during the day but it can’t really be used at night. It is ultimately a community facility that is being neglected.”

The project has had support and has received lots of good wishes from locals. Pledges of help have also been made by residents but now that core group of people is needed to drive the idea forward.

To restore the area, Father Daly would like to:

• Fix the lights. 
• Find local people to keep the area safe and tidy and to apply for funding to upgrade the facilities. 
• Make use of the redundant building for youth facilities. 

Father Daly added: “There are no youth facilities in Darn Hill so it would be good to use the redundant building in that area for something of that nature.”

Father Daly would also like to form a scout and cubs group in the area as this is something that is also lacking in Heywood.

Darn Hill is located in the south western part of Heywood between the River Roch and East Lancs Railway.

Anyone interested in forming the friends group or being part of the group can contact Father Paul Daly at St Josephs Church on 01706 369777.