RED ROSE FOREST PRESS RELEASE

Gorton Market hosts the second Gorton Hanging Basket Bonanza!

Event: Gorton Market holds the second of a series of Hanging Basket events in Gorton, with over 100 free, hanging baskets being given away.

Date/Time: Saturday, April 2, at 11.30am.

Meet: Gorton Market.

Contact: Chris Johnstone at Red Rose Forest on 0161 872 1660.

Green-fingered Gortoners will be turning their streets into a sea of colour this Saturday when they take part in the second of three fantastic free hanging basket events at Gorton Market.
The Hanging Basket Bonanzas have been organised by Gorton Private Sector Housing and each event will give away more than 100 hanging baskets and 50 planters per event.
Over 4000 leaflets have been sent out around the Debdale Park and Gorton area and people will receive their fantastic hanging baskets on a first come first serve basis.
This event has been jointly arranged by Debdale residents association, who have distributed leaflets to houses in the area offering them the chance to receive a free hanging basket.
And Red Rose Forest, Greater Manchester’s Community Forest, will be on hand to help budding gardeners make up their own baskets after choosing from a variety of colourful spring planters and baskets. Red Rose Forest’s Green Streets team, experts in urban street planting, have picked colourful plants like primrose, polyanthus and primula.
Green Streets will also be offering on the day care and repair advice.
A gazebo will be set up in the park which will contain the hanging basket kits, together with a fine selection of trailing plants. Residents will then be able to set up their baskets under-cover, with supervision from the Green Streets team.

The hanging basket event will be a real community day out, cementing an already fantastic community spirit.

As well as help on the day, people will also receive a maintenance sheet with useful tips and hints. The sheet, compiled by Red Rose Forest, will enable residents to maintain their hanging baskets throughout spring and into the summer.

The Hanging Basket Bonanza has been running since March 19 until April 16. The final event will taking place at Gorton Market on April 16. And the final bonanza will take place at Sunny Brow Park as part of its centenary celebration on April 19. Details of these events will be advertised on posters and leaflets over the next few weeks.
Sarah Macleod, Green Streets Project Officer, said: “Gorton’s streets are going to be transformed into a sea of colour this spring. This event is going to help residents maintain their gardens and housefronts themselves. Come the summer Gorton’s going to be blooming marvellous!”

If you require more information please call Chris Johnstone on 0161 872 1660.

Notes to Editors:
Red Rose Forest is Greater Manchester’s Community Forest. It is a partnership of the Countryside Agency, The Forestry Commission and six local authorities. Red Rose Forest is already transforming and regenerating a large part of Greater Manchester, with 25 million trees across 300 square miles being planted over 40 years.

Green Streets is a community urban greening project, which works in the Cities of Manchester and Salford and Trafford MBC. Green Streets’ aim is not simply to parachute in and make good an escape. Instead, we encourage residents to take an active role in every stage of the project from consultation and funding to delivery and aftercare. By engaging residents in as many aspects of the greening projects as possible we are not only encouraging communities to take ownership for the trees and plants, we are also helping to rebuild community spirit through greater social interaction and generating a renewed sense of pride in where people live.
Green Streets has been active in Manchester and Trafford since December 2001 and due to its superb success rate has just expanded into Salford. In the three years we have been operating we have completed over 40 projects.

ENDS