Oldham Mayor opens new local community garden 'triumph' at Eden Street
A new community garden at Eden Street in Oldham, developed by local group OL1 with support from First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), has been officially opened. The project, funded by Manchester Green Spaces and FCHO, transformed an overgrown area into a biodiverse space featuring an orchard, wildflowers, and trees. The garden aims to provide a social and accessible outdoor space while helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Mark Gifford, chief executive of First Choice Homes Oldham, cut the ribbon Tuesday on a transformed community garden at Eden Street, where volunteers have converted an overgrown plot into a biodiverse haven for local residents.
The housing association donated the land adjacent to Barker Street Community Centre and contributed £750 toward the £15,750 project, which community group OL1 undertook after receiving the bulk of funding from Manchester Green Spaces.
Volunteers spent twelve months clearing the site and planting an orchard, wildflowers, and hundreds of bulbs and seeds. Northern Lily, another Green Spaces Fund recipient, led a tree-planting session to help offset emissions from nearby St Mary’s Way and Rochdale Road.
“The land was really a sleeping beauty,” said OL1 chair Angie Brain, explaining that the ground work proved far heavier than anticipated. “It was a hard job but we are pleased with the results.”
The fully accessible garden debuted with music from the Sister of Yam Choir and steel band Band One. Oldham’s mayor, Councillor Zahid Chauhan, planted a commemorative tree and hailed the project as proof that “when we bring people and communities together, they thrive and take ownership.”
Greater Manchester Environment Fund co-founder Daveen Wallis praised OL1’s progress within the fund’s twelve-month timeframe, calling the finished garden “a wonderful place created for the community.”
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