Volunteers from Rushden joined staff from East Northamptonshire Council to help improve the Greenway between Crown Park and Asda on Saturday, 9 March.
Friends of the Greenway were joined by a local scout group and Out to Water, Into History project partners, Nenescape. The group of over 30 adults and children cleared the route of litter and planted hundreds of trees, shrubs and bulbs to help improve the look of the well-used public pathway.
The Out to Water, Into History project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund through the Nenescape Partnership. The five year project will improve this section of the Greenway by providing a clear link, installing signposting and welcoming gateways and creating a ‘Friends of the Greenway’ group. By implementing and delivering a landscape management plan the project will vastly improve the green corridor linking the new and old Rushden.
Cllr Sarah Peacock, Chairman of the Greenway Board said:
“I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved this weekend. The hard work and sore backs will be worth the effort when the thousands of people who use that route every month will enjoy walking past the vast array of trees and flowers that will brighten up their day.”
Amanda Johnson, Nenescape Project Manager added:
“The aim of this project is to offer a safe and attractive green route and I’m thrilled to see we are on track following this amazing day which saw residents, local groups and project partners join forces to create an amazing space for the whole community.
“I also need to say a big thank you to Morrisons for supplying drinks and fruit, and Pizzeria Venezia in Rushden who supplied a well deserved lunchtime treat for the troops, courtesy of Nenescape.”
Cllr Steven North, Leader of East Northamptonshire Council said:
“I want to personally thank everyone involved with the planting and litter picking of the Greenway this weekend. This is just the beginning of a long commitment we made to make this vital route the best it can be. I’m looking forward to walking down it in the coming weeks to see the hard work pay off.
If you are interested in this project and want to be kept up-to-date with the next stage, like and follow the dedicated community page on Facebook by searching for ‘Out to Water, Into History’.