Community canal project wins prestigous award

A community project on the Rochdale Canal in Littleborough has won an outstanding level 5 award by Britain in Bloom. The Canal & River Trust have been working with volunteers from the local Towpath Taskforce – a team of local people who volunteer once a month to help improve the canal.

Since April, the volunteers working in partnership with Pennine in Bloom, Community Payback and Hopwood Hall College have been working on a mile long stretch of the Rochdale Canal between Bridge 50, Hollingworth Road and Bridge 51, Canal Street in Littleborough. They have created a thriving community garden along the canal that visitors can enjoy and admire.

The judges from Britain in Bloom were particularly impressed with the rebuilding of a limestone wall, wildflower planting, creating new fruit tree orchards and a community herb box creating a wonderful place for people to come and pick their own fruit and herbs on the canal.

Jodie Weathers, our volunteer leader: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive this award which is the highest level to achieve especially in our first year of entering – it’s such a huge achievement.

“Volunteers from the Towpath Taskforce team have really made such a difference to this wonderful local amenity on their doorstep and we can’t thank them enough. As a charity, we rely on local people’s support to make sure the canal stays in tip top condition. I would encourage anyone who loves the outdoors, enjoys some physical work and would like to meet new people to come along.”

The next Towpath Taskforce event is taking place on Tuesday 5th December 2017 and Tuesday 2nd January 2018 meeting at the car park off Canal Street OL15 0AU at 10am. For more information email Jodie.weathers@canalrivertrust.org.uk