Cumbria Community Foundation - Furness: Opportunities and Challenges 2021

F U R N E S S – O P P O R T U N I T I E S & C H A L L E N G E S 39 Ford Park Community Park give opportunities for all. In the heart of Ulverston, you will find Ford Park – eight acres of beautiful green space - used by a wide diversity of people, and the result of an incredible level of effort and dedication from the Ford Park Community Group and volunteers. Ford Park demonstrates what local people can do for themselves and provides an incredible example of community enterprise. The courage and commitment of the original volunteers in taking over such a daunting project has been justified by the considerable community benefits offered by Ford Park today. Ford Park is situated adjacent to Ulverston East Ward, one of the more deprived in Cumbria, Much of the housing in Ulverston is older, many homes are terraced, with small yards and families without their own gardens. The green space of Ford Park Green is important for these families, providing a safe space to exercise, relax and play. Ford Park is a valued community resource, important to local people as well as an important part of Ulverston’s heritage, accessible to the community and visitors alike. In addition to hosting major events such as the Lantern Festival, Ulverston Carnival and the Candlelit Walk, the community group provides a wide range of community-based activities and inclusive volunteering opportunities. Around 24 volunteers participate in the ‘Inclusive Volunteering Programme’ where vulnerable adults and those with additional needs work alongside fully independent members of the community. They benefit from education and learning opportunities. They learn new skills related to horticulture, gardening and park management as well as developing confidence and making new friends in a safe and welcoming environment. The volunteering provides an important and valued opportunity for people to come together regardless of their personal circumstances to learn, socialise, give something back to the community and move on personally. Funding through the Community Foundation helped convert part of the walled Victorian kitchen garden into a nursery so that the charity could grow and sell range of perennials, vegetable plants, herbs and produce. Fruit and vegetables from the garden are also used in the restaurant promoting a field to fork ethos. Jill Salmon, Chief Executive Officer, said: “The grant enabled the initial development, purchase of stock and training for volunteers and also provided a paid position for an apprentice, which then led to a permanent gardening position. The outlook is for a long-term, sustainable addition to the park that provides an income stream to the organisation and further opportunities for volunteers within the community.” The dedicated team of volunteers play a huge role in helping to maintain and care for Ford Park and in 2019 they were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.