The volunteers from Harwood Artisan Markets, also fondly called The Orange Apron Gang (or OAG) are celebrating another great year raising money for a variety of charities, many local including Bolton Mountain Rescue, Canon Slade School, Bolton Hospice, Hardy Mill CP School, Fort Alice and the final market in December was for Friends of Harwood and Longsight Park.

This month the OAG invited Jane Wilcox to a cheque presentation on behalf of The friends of Harwood and Longsight Park.

Jane was recently awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours List and explained why it is so important to receive funding and donations, in order to improve accessibility for all and to have enough money to undertake lasting infrastructure change for all in the Harwood and Bradshaw areas.

Last year the Friends of Harwood and Longsight Park had a busy time, organising and part funding two new path upgrades in Longsight park.

The arboretum area is a dry path right round now.

They also treated areas of Japanese knotweed and helped to remove vast areas of Himalayan Balsam, an invasive species from both the park and surrounding brooks.

The group also spent a lot of time restoring the vandalised new trees in the park.

Also taking on areas out of the park, including the little green bus turn round by Bradshaw Cricket Club, treating the wooden benches and rail in arboretum and Bradshaw Brow rockery.

As well as improving the path from Harwood Vale to Longsight Lane, plus the footpath over the golf course into the park with the 22 steps.

Along with the usual painting up, graffiti and litter removing, wild flower planting, and noting suitable sites of biological importance.

Signage was also put up to direct visitors to points of interest.

They have put lots of notable and veteran trees on the Woodland Trust ancient tree inventory, re-done the Hough Fold Way walking and heritage sign and undertook local bat, moth and bird surveys.

Training is key to the volunteers knowledge and so they underwent river trust training.

The friends also gave money to partly fund the repainting of Longsight Cemetery Gates, which had become neglected.

This year, some of the volunteers are undertaking courses to improve their flora and fauna identification knowledge.

They have a council grant for the flower bedding area at Harwood centre this year and so the money raised and donated by the Harwood Artisan Market will be used in a full upgrade to Millennium Wood, off Longsight Lane, Harwood almost opposite the gates to Longsight Park.

The local councillors have agreed to resurfacing the 300m path, but adding paths in and out over the grass, so it will not be the slippy mud it usually is.

The friends are funding, with the help from this cheque donation, the overdue thinning of some trees as advised by Bolton arborist, putting a heritage sign up, replacing lost and damaged fencing, along with bat and bird boxes and wild flower planting.

The Millennium Wood should then be good with general maintenance for the next 10 years.

Jane added a special thank you for the fun the Artisan Markets bring and the funds raised for so many charities.

The Harwood Artisan Markets based with Harwood Methodist Church resume on March 2, along with markets on April 6 and May 11.