Friends’ group is blooming great

A GROUP that has reclaimed a park for the community and staged dazzling events there has been nominated for an award.

Nigel Newton was so impressed with the sterling efforts of the Friends of Stoneleigh Park in Derker that he says they deserve a Pride in Oldham award.

He singled out the volunteer groups’ dedication to improving the area and the fantastic work they do in the community.

Mr Newton said: “It’s a relatively small group of people that have the ability to pull themselves together and are very well organised to put on some fantastic events.

“I work in business and I’m really impressed by the organisational skills they have got. They put on many events throughout the year for children.”

He was particularly impressed by the Derker Olympics and the Party in the Park.

He added: “They just use the park as a central forum for the community and keep an eye on what’s going on in the park. They keep their eyes and ears open and alert the police to keep idiots out. They have reclaimed the park for the people in the community.

“The park is fabulous. The council do a great job in keeping it well maintained and it’s looking a lot better these days than it has for a long time.”

Friends of Stoneleigh Park secretary Angela Cosgrove said: “I think it’s nice that someone acknowledges that residents can make a difference. It’s nice to know people don’t just take us for granted and realise the hard work we put in.

“We have made a massive difference and put three regular events on every year, run solely by volunteers. We get a lot of support from Groundwork.”