Friends of Chirton Dene Park Receive Northern Powergrid Funding

The volunteers who care for Chirton Dene Park have been given a welcome boost. The Friends of Chirton Dene Park have received a share of funding from Northern Powergrid's Social Impact Programme, secured by North Tyneside Council, to help them carry on improving one of North Shields' best-loved green spaces.

As reported by North Tyneside Council, the money will pay for practical equipment, including gardening tools, gloves, litter-picking kit, storage and hi-vis tabards, as well as banners and a community noticeboard so residents can keep up with what is happening in the park. The BBC reported the award as £19,000.

What the group has planned

The funding will support a programme of work to make the dene richer for wildlife and more welcoming for visitors. Plans include:

• Creating wildflower meadows and adding aquatic planting
• Clearing the watercourses that run through the dene
• Community gardening sessions and volunteer events
• Workshops making water-purifying plant rolls
• Painting bird and bat boxes
• Regular litter picks and bulb planting

Cllr Hannah Johnson, North Tyneside Council's Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: "The Friends of Chirton Dene Park do a fantastic job caring for and improving this valued community green space."

Why it matters

Chirton Dene is a valued green space on the doorstep for many North Shields residents. Volunteer groups like the Friends do much of the day-to-day work that keeps spaces like this clean and thriving, and the right kit makes it far easier for new volunteers to get involved.

If you would like to help, the volunteer sessions, litter picks and planting days are a good way to start. For more on the town's green spaces, see our guide to parks and green spaces in North Shields.