Projects

The Friends of Marple Memorial Park have had amazing success with their projects in the park, thanks largely to the great support from local people, other voluntary organisations and the Marple business community. You can read more about these successes here.

Diamond Jubilee Project

In 2011 a member of Friends of Marple Memorial Park suggested at one of our meetings that we should do something in the park to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Separately, another member felt it would be a good idea to invite the local college's Horticultural Department and Students to get involved with hands-on work in the park and set the wheels in motion to see if this could be arranged.

These two independent ideas have since metamorphosed into a brand new community project to refurbish the rundown flowerbed in front of the library, turning it into something much more interesting as a permanent display to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June 2012.

Skate Park Improvements

The Friends of Marple Memorial Park would like to upgrade and extend the Skate Park facilities in the park and have joined forces with Marple Civic Society, Marple Hall School and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to try and achieve this as part of the "Vision for Marple". We are also working with Lewis Abbott, who campaigned to get the existing facility built back in 2000 and is still a skater today.

So far we have surveyed and consulted with users and obtained quotations from Skate Park contractors for schemes ranging between £25k and £75. We've selected two of these to discuss further with users but the big challenge now is going to be finding the funding that will be needed to take this project forward. There is no guarantee of success and we will need community support to succeed.

Caring for Park Benches

It has been apparent for a while that many of the benches in the park are deteriorating and some are in need of more than the normal routine maintenance that they sometimes receive from the council. So in the spring of 2011 the Friends of Marple Memorial Park conducted a survey of benches in the park to identify the extent of the problem and to develop an action plan for dealing with the outcome.

The survey revealed that many of the benches have been donated by families and friends in memory of a loved one, which is something that we feel is important not to lose. We have therefore developed a policy of repair and refurbishment only for any existing commemorative benches but with the possibility of adoption and replacement of non-commemorative benches. We decided to encourage adoption wherever possible in preference to new commemorative benches being installed in the park.

Park Entrance Improvements

The main road entrance to the park from Stockport Road had significant infrastructure improvements carried out by the council in 2003/4 but by 2010, although the hard landscaping was generally still in good shape, some aspects of the entrance were starting to look a little bit tired, dilapidated and overgrown - especially the pedestrian entrance to the park itself.

Friends of Marple Memorial Park decided that it was time to do whatever we could to tidy things up and make the park entrance a bit smarter and more welcoming to visitors.

We started with the overgrown cinema shrub bed in February 2010 and we're making good progress but there's still lots to do. Read here what we've done so far and what we hope to do next.

Saving the Flowerbeds

In February 2011 the Friends of Marple Memorial Park learnt that Stockport Council were planning to grass over the flowerbeds in local parks throughout the borough to save money in response to government budget cuts. The council's plan for Memorial Park was to reduce the existing ten ornamental flowerbeds between Hollins House and the War Memorial to just three.

Thankfully the Friends were able to negotiate a "stay of execution" for the seven flowerbeds that were destined to be grassed over for at least a year. This agreement with the council has allowed us to adopt the beds and gave us time to seek the support of the local community to help us plant them with herbaceous shrubs, perennials and bulbs to prevent them being lost forever.

French Boules Court

At the 2007 Food Festival the Friends of Marple Memorial Park were approached by a lady called Gladys Romm, whose husband Leonard had always wanted to build a French Boules Court in the park after enjoying the game in France. Sadly Leonard passed away before realising his ambition but the Friends thought it was a great idea and agreed to take the project on.

Money was raised with a special showing of the Railway Children film at Marple's Regent Cinema, at local events and an O2 "It's your Community" grant of £1,000. Later seating and interpretation was installed too with the help and support of Marple Civic Society, Marple Business Forum and a private donation by Mr. J. Louth in memory of his late wife, Kathleen.

Basketball Court Fence

In 2007 users of the Basketball Court asked the Friends of Marple Memorial Park if a fence could be erected around it because it was virtually impossible to hold a full game due to the ball disappearing off down the hillside every time it went out of play.

Throughout 2008 the Friends group working towards achieving this aim and with the assistance of the council obtained planning permission for a fence on two sides of the court. In November 2008 Marple Area Committee approved the use of a cummuted sum to fund the work which was almost enough to cover the cost of the fencing. The Friends were delighted to make up the small shortfall from their own funds raised at local events and the installation was completed early in 2009.

Infants Play Area

During December 2006 the equipment in the Infants Play Area in Marple Memorial Park was destroyed by arson. Soon after the Friends of Marple Memorial Park began seeking to replace the equipment, which was sorely missed by the young children of Marple and their parents. It was decided that the bark-filled former boating pond would also have to be filled in, which increased the costs considerably.

The Friends managed to raise £3,363, approximate 10% of the total cost, through fund-raising at local events and donations from within the local community. These efforts inspired Stockport Council to make a major contribution for the balance of the project costs and the installation of new equipment was completed by early 2008.

BBC Breathing Places Project

In 2007 the Friends successfully applied for a grant of £6,460 from the Big Lottery Fund as part of the hugely successful BBC-led Breathing Places campaign. The campaign, driven by BBC's Autumnwatch and Springwatch programmes, had enthused and energised thousands across the country to get involved in community projects to make space for nature.

Our project was developed in partnership with Stockport Library Services and the Council's Parks and Recreation Team to improve and enhance the woodland area behind the Marple Library for both wildlife and people. The incorporation of a circular reading area with full disabled access penetrating into the woodland created an outdoor 'room' to provide a window into the natural wildlife habitat surrounding it.

Tree Sculpture

In December 2006 the Friends were keen to develop a positive outcome after the demise of a large Copper Beech tree and arranged for sculptor Andrew Frost to provide them with a design using a nature and knowledge theme featuring animals and books. Local schools were consulted and children submitted ideas for the design and chose a name for the central owl character.

Over £3,000 worth of funding was raised, allowing Andrew to begin work at the Marple Locks Festival in July 2007. The main sculpture was completed later that summer and the ground sculptures soon after. Installation was delayed until the summer of 2008, when a joint launch with the Breathing Places Reading Circle behind the library was held in September 2008.

Coronation Bench

In August 2005 the Friends discovered that the oak tree next to the main path running through the park, and adjacent to the bowling green, was planted as part of the Queen's Coronation celebrations in 1953. A plaque was erected recording the event but at some point during the intervening years this had been lost.

Initially it was proposed to simply replace the missing plaque with a new one but the idea developed into something more. Now it is possible sit and take in the tranquility of a game of bowls, the bustle and activity of the skate park, the beauty of the ornamental trees and flowerbeds, the War Memorial and, on a clear day, the magnificent views of the distant hills, all from the comfort of our "Coronation Bench".