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Park volunteers ask for friendship

The voluntary group responsible for maintaining Stanley Park is appealing to locals who use the park for friendship.

The Friends of Stanley Park and Salisbury Woodland is made up of a group of volunteers who dedicate time to gardening, wildlife conservation, organising and hosting events and trying to ensure the park is a pleasant experience for visitors.

“We always need volunteers for gardening and manning events like the summer bandstand gigs,” said Nigel Patterson, chairman of the Friends of Stanley Park. “But those who don’t have spare time can still support us by becoming a Friend.”

Membership to the Friends of Stanley Park costs £10 for an individual or a family and can be paid at the visitor centre next to the park’s cafe. Membership alone will help support the Friends’ efforts but there are also opportunities for socialising with the group hosting a regular craft club, dog walkers’ club and book club.

Nigel Patterson at a park Christmas Carol event raising money for Blue Skies charity. Main image: volunteer gardeners. Photos: Elizabeth Gomm

Patterson said the group doesn’t have a specific fundraising target.
“This Easter we were really pleased to break all our fundraising records by taking £2,500 over a weekend of events. We had stalls, games and 18 volunteer crafters making things with the children who visited.
“But funds are always needed,” he said.

The Grade II listed park has received investment since 2004, with £5.5m of Heritage Lottery funding allowing improvements to the Italian Gardens, the Art Deco Cafe and the rose garden. Last year it was voted England’s favourite park by environmental charity Fields in Trust which praised it as a national treasure, but Patterson and his team are responsibly for much of the day-to-day up keep.

While Blackpool Council pays for the maintenance of the park Patterson says the budget isn’t nearly enough.

“The council do a magnificent job with the resources available but it doesn’t have enough money so we provide additional money and volunteers,” he said, adding that in the next few weeks the Friends will be making a significant announcement about investment in Stanley Park in the build up to its centenary in 2026.

In the meantime Patterson and his vice chair Carol Thaw, who’s responsible for organising the bandstand live music programme, are preparing to visit Buckingham Palace.

“We’ve been invited to the Royal Garden Party on 9th May to celebrate the coronation. It’s recognition of us receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2022 which is the equivalent of an MBE.”

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    Antonia Charlesworth Stack is a journalist and editor from Blackpool. She was deputy editor of Big Issue North magazine and is editor of Blackpool Social Club. Antonia is also the founder of Reclaim Blackpool, a women's safety campaign that began life as an article she wrote for Blackpool Social Club. She's a contributing author to the Lancashire Stories anthology with her story about a Blackpool performer, The Call of The Sea. The book is available for free in libraries across the county.

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