Who we are

We are a local non-profit group based in Garston, Liverpool. We formed to help improve and maintain our local park. Throughout the year, we run various events and fundraisers to help raise money for the park. We do this for the community, and anyone within the local area and beyond, to make sure our park is the best it can be. We want to keep Garston Park as somewhere people are happy to visit, whether that’s a quick walk with the dog, or an afternoon playing sports on the field. Your help and interest is greatly appreciated, the group is for everyone who wants to be involved and play a part in making our community the best it can be. So, don’t be shy, drop us a message on our contact page. We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions and always welcome new members.

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Latest News/What We Do

We are looking for volunteers to look after the rose bed at the entrance of Island Road please. It isn’t very big and doesn’t need anyone skilled. It would need regularly weeding, dead heading, cutting back when needed and cutting back the grass when needed, it wouldn’t take up much of your time, if anyone is interested please get in touch.

More and more people seem to be aware of the Friends group and our social media sites receive continuing attention.  We have good support when we have public working parties and litter picks, and each year we aim to offer more to the public.

The boggy areas of the park have been very boggy this rainy year but the flag iris we planted previously enjoy these conditions and have grown and flowered well and we hope to plant more.

The timber play area for toddlers which we commissioned a few years ago has become dilapidated but we are fundraising to repair it and are carrying out what maintenance we can.

Another on-going project is re-siting two benches which we originally bought they were removed because of ant-social behaviour by their users and we have not yet managed to agree with city council officers on appropriate new locations.

In mid-2022 we began Project poo to raise awareness of the incidence of dog fouling in the park and on approaches to the park.  We’d all like to see more dog owners picking up after their dogs but, regrettably, this is a long-term aspiration. We received a great deal of support from local councillors and city council officers and hopefully the message will get home eventually.

Our annual perennial plant sale was again very successful.   Plants are grown by our members and thanks go to all who work towards this.

When we actually buy plants and bulbs for the park, we try to use local suppliers and Aigburth Hall Nursery is always very helpful.  Most trees we have planted have come from the Woodland Trust, as well as several private donations from individuals.

Fundraising has been successful this year with various grants received, support from councillors through the neighbourhood fund and we also benefitted from the filming at Gaston Church.   The plant sale always boosts funds too.

One of our first acts when we formed was to raise money for benches and a noticeboard, so that there is one at each entrance to the park.

Monthly litter picks continued, as ever.  Our numbers are swelled frequently by a youth contingent from Long Lane church.  We now have some very welcome and dedicated attendees at these clean ups, who all make a great difference to the park.

So, slowly but surely, we make progress, and at the very least, raise the profile of the park. No longer dismissible as Long Lane Recreation Ground, there is considerable pride locally in our park.  The Friends’ resources in terms of people and funding are small but we have a good deal of goodwill, for which we are very grateful.

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