New Trim Trail

Friends of Scholes Park are celebrating the installation of the latest improvement to Scholes Park in Gatley, a new children’s trim trail in the play area. This is the result of two years of fund raising. The Friends group would like to thank the supporters of their just giving page, the SPRING group, the Dudley fund, Arnold Clark, Autotrader, the Brookfield Park Shires Family Trust, Tesco, Stockport Council and Goldthorpe family for their contribution. From large funding bids, to children fund raising by making time capsules to sell during the covid lock down, it has been a real community effort. It is hoped children of all ages will enjoy playing on the equipment for many years to come. An official opening ceremony is to be held on Sunday 30^th October at 11am where the trim trail and the recently installed art installation will be opened by Stockport Councillors and local artist Eamonn Murphy who have supported these projects. Friends of Scholes park are a community group who aim to increase the use and enjoyment of the park by the local community to improve people’s health and wellbeing, improve the habitat value of the park and to address anti-social behaviour. This is through improving the facilities and the park, and holding events. If you would like to be involved please contact them at hello@friendsofscholespark.org.uk.

Railway Arch Art Installation

Friends of Scholes Park are proud to unveil their latest community project. Artwork has been installed on the railway arch entrance to the park. These display artwork by students from the Kingsway School, who were mentored by local artist Eamonn Murphy. The students were asked to use the artwork to tell us what they loved about Gatley with buildings, history and green space and recreation as subjects. The images were then arranged into a montage by Eamonn and printed on panels. Thanks goes to the Brookfield Park Shiers Family Trust who funded the project and our local Councillor Keith Holloway and Network Rail who have supported the project. The official opening of the artwork will take place on 30^th October at 11am in a special ceremony, where volunteers will also plant bulbs in the park. All are welcome.

Our New Information Sign

It’s here!! Our beautiful new sign! A big thank you to the Ward Flexibility Fund and our local councillors for the funding and a VERY special thanks to the children whose artwork is on the sign.

Brownies in the Park

A big well done to Gatley 1st Brownies who did a lovely meeting with Friends of Scholes Park . We did tree identification and planted some plants along the new path kindly donated by a Gatley resident. It is always great to see children’s groups enjoying green spaces and learning about nature.

Art in the Park Competition Winners Announced

Huge congratulations to our three winning entries that will be going on our new signage in the Park! Jessica, Iris and Anya all aged 8 are our winners! A big thank you to Keith Holloway for being our judge. He said “Can you congratulate all of the children for me. They clearly very much enjoyed producing the pictures, and they show the pleasure that they all get from the park – the play ground, the field and the wildlife.”

Art on the Park

Bulb Planting Task Day with Good Gym

A big thank you to the Good Gym volunteers for planting some of our bulbs in Scholes Park today. Thanks so much to the Gatley Flower Rangers, Blooming Local and others for donating the bulbs. We are doing some school group bulb planting sessions after half term.

The Value Of Our Greenspace

During lock down and throughout the pandemic, many of us have realised just how important it is to have parks and green spaces in Urban areas. They provide a haven of peace and tranquillity and a break from our busy lives. They allow our children a place to play and enjoy a sense of freedom and adventure. They enable us a space for us to connect with nature which can be both life affirming and reassuring when times are difficult. A number of local residents have mentioned to me that until this year they had never fully realised how much Scholes Park offers all of this and more to them.

In 2004 a survey of the park’s natural habitat arrived at some interesting findings and a variety of trees and flowers can be found within the wooded areas of the park including mature English Oak trees dating from the 18th century, lesser Hawthorn, Blackthorn Holly and seasonal woodland flowers such as bluebells and crocuses. The small seasonal ponds are populated with frogspawn, rushes and Irises and various woodland birds in the Spring. Whilst the remnants of the garden of Gatley Hill House contain rare Black Poplar trees, Pines, Cypresses, Cedars and a Monkey Puzzle Tree. The Friends group have recently learned that an orchard once stood in the park and is shown on historical maps of the area. Whilst local residents have informed us that the park is a great haven for bats!

The Friends group would love to ensure that the park remains a sanctuary in our busy village. We hope to obtain funds to create a family wildlife trail in the forest area which will enable families to enjoy, explore and learn about nature in fun, playful and active ways. Bird and bat boxes and bug hotels will encourage local wildlife to flourish in the area and could allow us to organise community nature activities. It would be great to recreate the orchard as a community resource for individuals, schools and voluntary groups to gain access to locally grown organic food. We would love to develop the paths and allow more flowers and plants to flourish and bring more colour and interest to the park.

If you are interested in helping us to make these things happen for you and the community. Get in touch!