Yesterday marked another important milestone in the regeneration of Daisy Nook Country Park, as the FRIENDS of Daisy Nook and the Hollinwood Canal Society formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding - bringing together two organisations with different strengths, but one shared ambition for this remarkable place. The signing was witnessed by the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Pam Byrne, and attended by distinguished guests including Emma Barton, Oldham Council Deputy Chief Executive - Place, alongside representatives, partners and supporters of both organisations.
The Memorandum was signed on behalf of FRIENDS by Mark Buchan Jones, Chairman, and on behalf of the Hollinwood Canal Society by Michael Chase, Company Secretary.
The partnership brings together FRIENDS' focus on whole-park regeneration, community leadership, volunteers, partnerships and funding with the Hollinwood Canal Society's considerable knowledge of the canal, its industrial heritage and its restoration skills. The intention is not simply to preserve what remains, but to work together to help secure its future.
And there is a remarkable history to protect.
The canals running through Daisy Nook were authorised in 1792 and formed part of the transport network that helped power Manchester's Industrial Revolution. Today, that industrial heritage exists alongside an extraordinary natural landscape - a place celebrated through the generations, from L.S. Lowry to photographs featured in the BBC Countryfile Calendar.
But Friday's signing was about much more than looking back.
Ambition is already becoming action.
With £120,000 of capital funding secured through the One Oldham Fund, work is underway to reconstruct the collapsed Boodle Wood path, restore and seal sections of the historic canal system and improve habitats across the Country Park. The objective isn't simply to repair Daisy Nook - it's to realise its true potential. The Memorandum opens the door to greater collaboration, including opportunities around joint funding, working parties, guided walks, heritage interpretation and long-term stewardship.
It also recognises something fundamental to the future of Daisy Nook:
No one organisation can do this alone.
FRIENDS Chairman Mark Buchan Jones summed up the responsibility behind the partnership during his presentation:
“Our generation inherited Daisy Nook. It is our duty to ensure we leave it in far better condition than we found it.”
Friday's partnership is another important step towards doing exactly that.
Protect the heritage. Restore the park. Create its future.
A huge thank you to the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Pam Byrne, Emma Barton and everyone who joined us at Daisy Nook Cafe to mark what we hope will be remembered as an important day in Daisy Nook's story.
The canals running through Daisy Nook were authorised in 1792 and formed part of the transport network that helped power Manchester's Industrial Revolution. Today, that industrial heritage exists alongside an extraordinary natural landscape - a place celebrated through the generations, from L.S. Lowry to photographs featured in the BBC Countryfile Calendar.
But Friday's signing was about much more than looking back.
Ambition is already becoming action.
With £120,000 of capital funding secured through the One Oldham Fund, work is underway to reconstruct the collapsed Boodle Wood path, restore and seal sections of the historic canal system and improve habitats across the Country Park. The objective isn't simply to repair Daisy Nook - it's to realise its true potential. The Memorandum opens the door to greater collaboration, including opportunities around joint funding, working parties, guided walks, heritage interpretation and long-term stewardship.
It also recognises something fundamental to the future of Daisy Nook:
No one organisation can do this alone.
FRIENDS Chairman Mark Buchan Jones summed up the responsibility behind the partnership during his presentation:
“Our generation inherited Daisy Nook. It is our duty to ensure we leave it in far better condition than we found it.”
Friday's partnership is another important step towards doing exactly that.
Protect the heritage. Restore the park. Create its future.
A huge thank you to the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Pam Byrne, Emma Barton and everyone who joined us at Daisy Nook Cafe to mark what we hope will be remembered as an important day in Daisy Nook's story.
