Friends Groups

Friends of Parks are voluntary groups of local residents, workers or visitors who dedicate some of their time, energy and effort into caring for and improving their local park.  These groups are formally constituted.  They support the Council's role and often initiate improvements to the parks.  Anyone with an interest in the parks can join a Friends Group and give as much or as little time as they wish to get involved.

Friends Group members are usually frequent users of the parks & they have been proved to be a very effective way of putting forward the public's opinions, concerns and ideas to the council.  They can also have an impact on crime, anti-social behaviour and vandalism by reporting such issues to the Council or the Police.

The Friends Groups meet on a regular basis.  Pendle Councillors and the Police are often in attendance at the meetings.

Parks Staff Support

The Parks Outreach and Park Keeper Team can support and work with each Friends Group through consultation, providing advice and guidance e.g. funding applications, and assistance with all stages of project design and implementation.  They also help the Friends Groups stage small events and activities in the parks to help bring together local communities and to encourage people to fully utilise their parks.

The Friends Groups also work closely with the Parks Outreach and Park Keeper Service in helping to preserve and maintain the habitats of local wildlife within the parks. 

What Friends Groups have been established?

There are 8 Parks' Friends Groups that are dedicated to looking after and improving their local park:

• Friends of Alkincoats Park, Colne
• Friends of Ball Grove Park, Trawden
• Friends of Barrowford Park
• Friends of Brierfield Parks
• Friends of Marsden Park, Nelson
• Valley Gardens Working Group, Barnoldswick
• Friends of Victoria Park, Nelson
• Friends of Walverden Park, Nelson

We welcome people wishing to set up a new Friends Group to help care for their local park. 

Resource Room for Friends Group Business

An office has been made available to all Friends Groups at Marsden Old Hall with access to computer facilities and the internet. This enables the Friends Groups to network with other groups or organisations and gives them the opportunity to investigate potential external funding grants.

Pendle Parks Forum

A maximum of 2 representatives from each Friends Group are invited to become members of Pendle Parks Forum (i.e. Pendle Parks Friends Group Network).

• To assist with the continuing improvement and quality of the parks.
• To provide feedback of stakeholder's views to Pendle Borough Council in response to strategic issues which effect the parks.
• To be included on issues such as the capital programme, developments and policy changes.
• To receive and respond to reports and information submitted to it relating to Parks and Recreation Services issues.

This group meets on a quarterly basis to share experiences, successes, solutions and lessons learned, to provide a platform to inspire and identify best practice across the individual Friends Groups.

Always Recruiting New Members

We are striving to encourage more people of all ages to become active members of Parks Friends Groups and to develop these groups so that they are representative of the communities they serve.

Funding Streams

The Friends Groups are working closely with Pendle Borough Council to sourse external funding on a continuous basis for projects and schemes across all Parks in Pendle.

Access the information we have available on funding streams at a local, regional and national level.

If you are interested in joining your local Friends Group or attending a meeting please contact:

Parks Outreach and Park Keeper Service on
01282 661569 or 01282 661600
Based at Marsden Old Hall
Walton Lane
Nelson Lancs BB9 8BW

To add your own comments / views about the parks in Pendle, please click on the following link to the Green Flag Website

Reporting Problems in Parks

Please contact Parks and Recreation Services...

Online: fill in and submit our online complaints or comments form here

By Email: parks@pendle.gov.uk

By Telephone: 01282 661600

In Person: call into the offices at Fleet Street, Nelson BB9 7YQ

By Post: Parks & Recreation Services, Fleet Street, Nelson, Lancs. BB9 7YQ

• More information on Pendle's Parks