Back green to win community cash
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HALTON Village Millennium Green Trust (HVMGT) has called on residents to back its bid for a grant from the Aviva Community Fund 2017.
Pauline Riley, HVMGT secretary and fundraiser, said the group needs votes to be in with the chance of being awarded up to £5,000.
Residents set up the trust 20 years ago when a brewery wanted to sell the land for housing.
Pauline said that since then it has flourished through winning funding bids, and events for fun days, picnics, Hallowe’en and Christmas.
It also holds arts and crafts workshops around the year.
Pauline said the green has added benefits and has given some residents an extra lease of life including Helen Melford who made friends after buying a dog and walking it on the field, helping to fill the void when she retired and her children had flown the nest.
She also became an action group member and is now heavily involved, earning renown for her cupcakes.
Pauline said: “People tell us the green is an oasis of calm for all ages alike.
“Dog walkers meet and socialise, people have picnics, children can play games and can make a noise and can kick a ball without being shouted at.
“Everyone is free to help themselves from our community orchard and, judging by the numbers who attend, all seem to enjoy our activities and events.
“We are relying on votes to increase our chance of winning funding of up to £5,000 which we hope will enable us to buy another container to store our ever increasing amount of equipment, to buy a sit-on mower so that we can mow around the trees in our community orchard and buy two pop-up gazebos for events and activities.
“Only projects with the most votes will become finalists, so additional support is vital.”
To vote visit www.community-fund.aviva. co.uk and search for ‘Halton Village Millennium Green Trust’.
The deadline for votes is November 18.