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Manchester’s first new city centre park in 100 years given prestigious Green Flag Award

Judges said that they had "never seen such an outstanding urban park" in the award's history.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 16th July 2024

Manchester’s first new city centre park to be created in 100 years has been given a prestigious Green Flag Award.

It may be on your radar that, for several years running now, green spaces in Greater Manchester have deservingly been recipients of the prestigious Green Flag Award – which is an internationally-recognised honour given annually to the parks, green spaces, and cemeteries that have “attained a high standard of green space”.

Green Flag Awards are granted by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy each year to recognise accessible green spaces that set “an international benchmark for management”.

And it looks like 2024 has proven to be a stand-out year for our region too, as Manchester‘s newest urban park, Mayfield Park – otherwise known as the city centre‘s first new park in 100 years – has been handed the coveted honour this year.

Judges said that they had “never seen such an outstanding urban park” in more than 20 years of judging the award.

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Manchester’s first new city centre park in 100 years has been given the prestigious Green Flag Award / Credit: Richard Bloom (via Mayfield MCR on Instagram)

“The original design and specification standards are exceptional, the facilities are of the highest standard, and the site security and cleansing is excellent,” Green Flag Award judges said of Mayfield Park as they gave it the honour for 2024.

“The play facilities are inspired and exciting, the horticultural and arboricultural standards are brilliant, and the biodiversity of the site is cared-for and blooming.

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“It was a real pleasure and privilege to be the first to judge this world-class park.”

Judges said that they had “never seen such an outstanding urban park” / Credit: Richard Bloom (via Mayfield MCR on Instagram)

While it may be one of the most well-known nationally, and certainly one of the most prestigious, the Green Flag Award isn’t the only honour Mayfield Park has been bestowed since it first opened to be public back in 2022.

Just this year alone, it has already scooped up eight accolades for things like excellence in landscape design, place regeneration, and the natural environment.

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Laura Percy, who is the Senior Development Director at Landsec U+I on behalf of the Mayfield Partnership, said that the park’s creators and managers are “thrilled” to win the prestigious award, adding that: “This is recognition to all those who helped to create and deliver this incredible green space, and to the management team who ensure every day that it is a vibrant, welcoming and safe space for everyone to enjoy.

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“It’s a joy to come to work every day here and see kids playing and people from across the region coming to visit.”

Featured Image – Richard Bloom (via Green Flag Award)

News

Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre

Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.

Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.

A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.

Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.

It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.

Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.

As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.

Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.

The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.

Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.  

Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.

The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.

Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.

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“Help us be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline,” Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity urged in it’s public appeal for donations.

You can help make sure ‘A Bed Every Night’ is a reality for all by donating here.

Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)

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