As the opening of the new Alder Hey Children’s Hospital approaches, there is now a focus on the next phase which is the development of Springfield Park, next to the hospital, as a children’s health park.
When local people, many of them children, were asked what they wanted from the new hospital, the park was very important to them.
From the windows of the current hospital you can only see cars and brick walls, and children and their families told Alder Hey they wanted to be able to see green spaces and a park that they and local people could enjoy.
The Friends of Springfield Park, a local community group, has been formed to help plan and design the new children’s park on Springfield Park. While the plans for the new park are being drawn up they want to give the park a clean-up. So with the help of the Green Team, a social enterprise based in Dutch Farm in Liverpool, they have organised a series of community volunteer clean up days in the park.
Volunteers from the local community are welcome to help with the clean-up days which will take place every Monday and Tuesday. The Knotty Ash ward councillors have purchased tools and equipment for the clean-up days from their Neighbourhood Fund.
The first clean up day saw members of the Green Team ably supported by members of the Friends of Springfield Park, local ward councillors and City Council staff, staff from Alder Hey and representatives from the Liverpool FC Foundation taking part.
Knotty Ash Councillor Ged Taylor said: ”This is a great example of community team work in action with local residents who have formed The Friends of Springfield Park. They are working in partnership with the Council, Alder Hey and the Green Team to rejuvenate the park while the plans for its new look take shape.”
Pictured above: Members of the Friends of Springfield Park, the Green Team, Councillor Ged Taylor and Rachel Armstrong from Alder Hey.