What we did

Three parks. Six teams. One shared mission — leave it better than we found it. We focused on the work the council struggles to fund: clearing overgrown paths, planting native saplings and giving the play areas a serious scrub.

• 50 native trees planted across Heaton, Platt Fields and Boggart Hole Clough
• 2.1 tonnes of litter collected and properly recycled
• Three play areas refreshed with safe, non-toxic paint
• 14 community gardeners signed up to keep watering through summer

What surprised us

The age range. Our youngest volunteer was 4 (in charge of cheering). Our oldest was 82 and ran the tea station for six straight hours. Community is not a slogan — it really does look like everybody.

What's next

Autumn clean-up is already in the diary: Saturday 26 September 2026. We'll need 250 of you. Sign up below or message us on WhatsApp — we save the best wheelbarrows for early sign-ups.