Grant Funding

Within the NPL Group are active landfill operators who when accepting waste at their sites are obliged to charge landfill tax which is paid to the government. The Government however allows the company to retain a percentage of the tax to fund community projects.  The Bradley Park Community Fund was set up by the group and is managed by Grantscape an Entrust accredited fund manager.

POS Landcare believe such funds are a great opportunity to add weight to the effort made by local people to improve their communities and POSL act as an enabler introducing and encouraging community groups and local authorities to apply to the fund.  Below are details of some of grants awarded following active promotion and encouragement by POS Landcare.

Ash Road, Droylsden, Greater Manchester
Jet Amber Fields, Denton, Greater Manchester
The Victory Hall, Mobberley, Cheshire
The Ropewalk, Parkgate, Cheshire
The Trans Pennine Trail, Stretford, Greater Manchester
The Childrens Playground, Cartmel, Cumbria
Stanney Oaks, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
St Johns Community Hall, Rastrick, Yorkshire

Ash Road, Droylsden
The Friends of Sunny Bank Vale. Sunny Bank Vale is the site of a former household refuse site which upon reaching capacity in the late eighties was contoured and landscaped providing a mix of grassland and woodland. The site was in public ownership, being jointly owned by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority and Tameside Council and whilst public access was encouraged it suffered from lack of regular maintenance which restricted its leisure value and reduced the connectivity between adjacent communities.

A group ‘Friends of Sunny Bank vale’ was established in 2011 and they have actively canvassed local residents and companies to contribute funds, supply materials or provide manpower, which has resulted in an immediate improvement to the area by enabling the group to commence the construction of a network of suitably surfaced footpaths and undertake regular litter picking sessions.

To help maintain the momentum three awards over a five year period have been made to the group from the Bradley Park fund totalling in excess of £20,000 and this money has been used to complete the footpaths, establish a wildflower meadow and fund regular maintenance which has helped to establish the land as an attractive well used area of open space.

At the RHS Britain in Bloom Awards ceremony in November 2014, the Friends of Sunny Bank Vale received a Level 5 “Outstanding” Award (the highest available) and they also received the “50 Years of Britain in Bloom” award for the “Sun in Splendour” flower display and the explanatory plaque that had been constructed.

In 2015 and 2016 Sunny Bank Vale was awarded a Green Flag in the ‘Community Section’.  This prestigious award is the pinnacle and also bench mark of excellence for parks and green spaces in the UK and now internationally. The award followed a complex application process and rigorous inspection and shows how far the renovation of Sunny Bank Vale has come since July 2011 when the friends group was formed and the land was known as “Ash Road Tip”.

These awards represent mile stones in the improvement of the Vale and will encourage the Group to work with the site owners, their partners and funders to further build on this tremendous success.

Jet Amber fields, Denton
Jet Amber fields is a former landfill site which due to its rolling fields, woodland, footpaths, bridal paths and its location either side of the river Tame has the feel and ambience of a ‘Country Park’. It has been maintained by Tameside Councils’ Ranger Service since the eighties and because of its extensive footpath network has been enjoyed by many local residents. Inevitably funding cuts imposed on Tameside Council resulted in the maintenance service being discontinued in 2013.

POS Landcare visited on a regular basis to cut the grass adjacent to the main car park, but little else has been done to maintain or enhance the amenity. However further to encouragement from POSL, Tameside Council submitted a bid for £17,600 which has been awarded and maintenance work has commenced.

This includes the construction of knee rail fencing, repair of wooden steps, provision of tables and benches and a programme of routine landscape maintenance throughout the summer months.

The work is being undertaken by Greenscape an award winning, professional landscaping and gardening service. As an established Social Enterprise, they donate their surplus income to support the community base charitable activities of St Peter’s Partnership’s, a charitable organisation.

Greenscape has provided opportunities for over 250 unemployed local residents. They provide meaningful work opportunities for local people who face challenges which can place them furthest away from the job market. They support people to develop their confidence, skills and self-worth through volunteering and paid work within a fair, well supervised and respectful environment which helps them get onto full-time work and further education.

The Victory Hall, Mobberley, Cheshire
The Victory Hall was built using money from local funds and benefactors and officially opened in December 1921 to remember the fallen villagers from World War One and to provide a community meeting place for the villagers. The main hall was of a timber construction with pitch roof – chosen to avoid the weight of a tiled roof – with the walls designed in a mock Tudor style to reflect many of the local buildings and to emphasise its importance to the community. The building is owned by Mobberley Parish Council and the Trust Deed Committee was resurrected in 2014 to manage the building and ensure it is available to the community for many years to come.

The Victory Hall is currently in need of major improvements to ensure that it continues to provide a vital facility for the community. Structural, timber and damp reports have identified that the timber studs and the timber sole plate require renewal. Whilst a considerable amount is required to refurbish the building a grant of £35,000 from the Bradley Park Fund has enabled the replacement of the external facade to be completed together with the refurbishment of the toilet facilities.

The Ropewalk, Parkgate, Cheshire
The Ropewalk site is an existing play area in Parkgate, Wirral managed by Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) and in the main caters for the younger primary school age group. The site has existing equipment which is in good condition and is used regularly by the local community. The Council required contributory funding to support the implementation of a programme of play area enhancement by acquiring three pieces of additional play equipment, together with a ROSPA Health and Safety inspection, new fencing and associated landscaping for the adjacent Neston Town Council allotment.

POS Landcare owns public open space in the adjacent villages of Helsby and Neston and was pleased through its growing relationship with the local councillors to facilitate the award of a grant. The total cost of the project was £30,300 and whilst some funding was available the Bradley Park Fund contributed the shortfall of £16,800 to enable the project to be undertaken.

The Trans Pennine Trail, Stretford
The Trans Pennine Trail is a very popular walking, cycling and horse riding route between Liverpool and Hull. Public comments, emails and social media have all highlighted sections which are in need of improvement. Trafford Council and Trafford Countryside Management Partnership had improved sections immediately east and west of the project, and the final section of 280 metres was now seen as a priority for the many users of the Trail.

The project was required because the trees and undergrowth had encroached onto the path making it very intimidating in the summer months of maximum growth. Large areas were cut back opening up the pathways and also provided woodland management to support the nationally-endangered Willow Tit, which has specific habitat needs, the laying /managing of 150m of old hedgerows which were also identified as an important part of the heritage of this site.

The project was delivered by the award of £25,600 from the Bradley Park Fund and has been of benefit to several hundred people a week who currently use this stretch of the TPT. The Trans Pennine Trail volunteers and The Conservation Volunteers (whose Manchester base is only 2km along the Trail) assisted the habitat management and hedgelaying, and the site was also a venue for activities under the GM Heritage trees project.

The Childrens Playground, Cartmel, Cumbria
The Cartmel Trust is a charity set up to run and maintain community based projects which enhance the lives of residents and visitors in Cartmel. One of their projects is the running and upkeep of village public toilets (closed by the local council in 2011) and the provision and upkeep of a equipped playground. They have also provided free community events such as Jubilee celebrations and a Bonfire night event.

The playground is now 17 years old and although the bulk of the timber equipment is in good condition many of the safety surfaces are in need of replacement and the tarmac areas need attention. The total cost of the improvements is around £20,000 the major cost being rebuilding of the boundary wall, which is of dry stone wall construction and large stones often work loose. It is proposed to rebuild the wall using mortar to provide much greater stability and safety. POS Landcare supported this project and a bid for half the amount £10,000 was approved and the work commenced during the year.

Stanney Oaks, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
This residential area was developed over a 15 year period by many developers commencing in the late eighties, with Barratt building around 400 houses. Their development included large areas of open space comprising amenity grassland, woodland and several ponds.

In 2014 a group, the Friends of Stanney Oaks, was formed and currently has a Facebook Group with membership in excess of 350. The Friends have organised work parties on Wednesdays and Saturdays undertaking litter picking and general repairs.

There was an appetite to undertake more substantial improvements to the land, tree planting, fencing, seating etc. and an application was made to the Bradley Park fund for £15,000 which has recently been approved and work will commence shortly.

St John’s Community Hall, Rastrick, Yorkshire
The hall is a successful and popular setting for supporting groups and organisations in Rastrick. The hall is very popular and the users include private parties and dances, beavers, blood donors, brownies, calligraphers, cubs ,dance groups, scouts, guides, karate, mothers’ union, panto society, parent & toddler group, puppy dogs for the blind dog training, rainbows, striker tots, annual beer festival, table top sales, concerts and shows as part of the Brighouse Arts Festival.  The Community Hall is a place for meetings, cultural experiences, training opportunities, play activities and society meetings.
Behind the stage is a large room with its own toilet facilities, but is in need of upgrading to bring it into more beneficial and regular use. The area can be accessed through the hall or from the street.

The plan is to refurbish this area using a team of volunteers called the Hall Improvement Committee (HIC). The largest capital expenditure will be forming a disabled toilet with baby changing facilities and a kitchen area which necessitates a door being cut through a wall and an existing door bricked up and plastered over.

When the construction work is finished the walls will be stripped down to the original pine and all rooms decorated throughout, including new carpet tiles, 4 new tables and chairs and white goods for the kitchen.

To accommodate wheelchair entry a ramp will be built to allow access to this end of the building from the street.

The total cost was around £24,000 and more than half of the required sum had already been secured, so the Bradley Park fund was happy to contribute £10,000 to allow the group to reach their total and work commence.

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