Westmorland and Furness Council is supporting a new community initiative in Barrow Park as the newly formed Friends of Barrow Park Group prepares to host a plant swap on Saturday 14 June.
Taking place outside the Barrow Park Pavilion building from 11am to 2pm, the event is part of The Great Big Green Week, a national climate action campaign.
The week is an opportunity to celebrate what actions are being taken to tackle climate change and protect nature, explore what more we can do, and encourage others to get involved. This year’s theme is ‘Let’s swap together for good’ which encourages people across the UK to make swaps every day to help create a better tomorrow.
Residents are invited to bring along spare vegetable, fruit or flower seedlings to swap, meet the volunteers behind the Friends group, and find out more about them.
The group has been set up to work in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council which manages and maintains Barrow Park. Its aims include promoting environmental sustainability, enhancing park facilities, encouraging active lifestyles and creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for everyone.
Councillor Beverly Morgan, local ward member for Ormsgill and Parkside, and a member of Friends of Barrow Park Group, said:
“Plant swaps bring together people to exchange not just seedlings but also stories, care tips, knowledge, generosity and enthusiasm. We look forward to meeting you and introducing you to Friends of Barrow Park.”
Amy Stretch-Parker, Secretary of Friends of Barrow Park Group, said:
“The Friends of Barrow Park are a group of committed locals, many of whom work in or live close to the park and we want to celebrate and preserve the park for all Barrovians. We're here to make sure park users have their say and get the ball rolling with some fun, new projects. If you want to get involved just give us a shout, we're a lovely bunch and we want everyone to enjoy the park as much as we do. We're on Facebook or you can email us to find out more - friendsofbarrowpark@gmail.com.”
Councillor Helen Chaffey, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Community Services, added:
“We’re really pleased to support the newly formed Friends of Barrow Park and their first community event. This plant swap is a fantastic way to bring people together, encourage sustainable living and celebrate one of our valued green spaces. It’s great to see local volunteers taking the lead on initiatives like this and it’s a brilliant way to get things started.”
Funding for event materials has been provided by Zero Carbon Cumbria, supporting communities across the county to take climate-positive action.
To learn more about the group or the event, come along on the day, follow Friends of Barrow Park Group on Facebook or contact them at: friendsofbarrowpark@gmail.com.