And the winner is…..

This is a prestigious quality award given to parks and green spaces that meet the standards laid down by the scheme – see www.greenflagaward.org.uk

The park is judged according to a set of criteria that include health & safety, access and signage, cleanliness & sustainability as well as conservation & heritage. But one of the most important criteria of all is the community involvement, the people who use the park, and that is what a group of volunteers, the Friends of the Moor, have been working towards.

In the last few years the County Council, formerly MBC and now Cheshire East, have made a significant financial investment both in the equipment and the maintenance program which has paid off handsomely for all those people who use the park. Whether you are taking children to the play area, feeding the ducks or just passing through from one part of Knutsford to another you will know that the Moor is a far better place than it used to be.

But investment by the County Council is of little benefit to the community unless the community itself plays a part in the management and use of that facility. The Friends group have been working with Cheshire East, Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the Heritage Centre to promote the use of the Moor and to involve local scout groups and schools in the activities that make the Moor a more enjoyable place to be.

The 1st Knutsford scout group helped with bulb planting and making bird boxes. The local schools and the Heritage Centre were involved in the art project culminating in the first ‘fat bird’ named Belle that can be found sitting among the trees near the picnic area. The Knutsford & District Lions made a significant contribution to the Museum in the Street panel.

Knutsford Town council have become more involved and the local councillor, Cllr David Lever has joined the committee. When Cllr. Jennifer Holbrook was Mayor she wrote the foreword to the History of the Moor, written by our local historian Joan Leach in association with the Friends group. In April Mayor Tony Want played an important role during our presentation to the Green Flag judges.

Many people have helped with the Litter picks including the removal of the now infamous sofa that languished in the Moor pool. Recently the Friends group carried out a survey of people who use the Moor and we were delighted to hear that everyone was very impressed with the improvements that have been made.

It was also pleasing to note the number of people who had come into Knutsford specifically to use the facilities on the Moor and that is good for the town.

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