Project aims to revive park life
APROJECT has been launched aiming to make Great Harwood Memorial Park a more welcoming and vibrant place to visit.
The Friends of Memorial Park have teamed up with Hyndburn Borough Council and community interest company Proffits on a project to improve the park in Great Harwood, Hyndburn, Lancashire.
After consultation with local residents the project team suggested improvements be made to the war memorial, the garden area surrounding the memorial, the boundaries and pathways as well as to woodland management.
A survey has also been launched to get feedback on the initial ideas.
It is not just physical improvements which have been suggested, there are also plans to run a heritage learning project for children and residents.
The history of the park, the gardens and the war memorial will all be researched and then displayed on interpretation boards around the park so people can learn about Great Harwood’s history and heritage.
The team hopes to create a heritage learning project for Great Harwood Memorial Park
Ian Wilkinson from Friends of Memorial Park said: “The group has always tried to maintain and improve the loved features of the parkland we inherited from past generations.
“We believe that this project has the potential to provide the capital injection needed to save this rather special gem of Great Harwood”.
He says that the project will help visitors and young people learn about the park’s history.
“Although long gone are the putting greens and budgerigars, the park has still much to offer to today’s visitors with wonderful views across the Pendle Hill, magnificent springsummer flower displays and shy wildlife visitors, he said.
“Whether it is just a quiet place to sit and think or the chance to participate in some vigorous exercise on the parks inclines, the memorial park offers something for everyone.
“Please join in the consultation process - it is your opportunity to protect and save this rather special place.
Martin Proffitts from Profitts - Investing in Communities, hopes to secure funding for the improvements through the help of the consultation.
He said: “’Working on a mix of heritage and public parks projects like these is always fantastic.
“It’s so exciting for everyone to learn more about the places they use and visit what was there years ago; why the memorial is there; who the local soldiers were; who still lives here with family connections to the memorial and site the local stories resonate with everyone.
“It’s especially interesting to see how engaged young people and children get in projects like this, it’s wonderful for them.’’