A group of local 16 year olds undertaking the National Citizens Service programme this summer have chosen Tawd Valley Park for their fundraising project.  The group of 15 from Skelmersdale and Ormskirk raised an impressive £302 by bag packing at B&M and doing a sponsored walk, and have donated the money to Friends of Tawd Valley.

Alfie Brookes who led the group says, ‘we chose Friends of the Tawd because of the great work they are doing supporting the regeneration of Tawd Valley Park.  The park is in the heart of the town and is an underused resource right on our doorstep’.

Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council are working together to upgrade some of the existing footpaths to create a cycleway running the full length of Tawd Valley Park and work starts this month (see our cycling plans page for full route and details).

The new surface will be a material called Nuflex which is a recycled rubber bound resin with aggregate and allows water to soak through it.  It has been used to great effect on other multiuser routes around Lancashire (see photo above and this short video of a Rossendale cycleway opened last summer.

Feedback from various user groups has been great and it has been especially popular with the local running club in Rossendale so we are hoping it will be a great facility for the new Park Run events which are starting up in the Tawd Valley.

Construction work will start during August this year and, weather permitting, the work should be completed by early December.  Part of the works will involve the removal of one of the current foot bridges and its replacement with a 3.5m wide cycleway bridge, this element of the project is being supported with a grant award from the Lancashire Environment Fund.

There will be some disruption whilst the works are happening and temporary diversions will be put in place at some locations to allow the works to happen.  An ecological clerk of works will also be employed to monitor and minimise environmental disruption.

If you would like any more information about the project please contact Tony Lund, Senior Environmental Project Officer,  Lancashire County Council:  phone 01772 537693, email: tony.lund@lancashire.gov.uk.

You are invited to relax and rejuvenate in the beautiful surroundings of Tawd Valley Park this summer.

From  Active West Lancs will be running FREE Tai Chi sessions in the park every Saturday from 12noon to 1pm – for 6 weeks only.

Meet at Skelmersdale Library at 11.45am and please wear non-restrictive clothing and comfortable footwear.

For further details please contact Heather Reade, Tai Chi & Qi Gong Master, 0745 095 4900 | info@HeatherReade.co.uk

Download the flyer here.