Gorton volunteers shocked to find beloved rose garden destroyed

A group of volunteers have found that a much-loved rose garden in a Gorton park has been destroyed. 

Members of The Friends of Debdale Park who look after the garden returned last Wednesday to find that the central feature, a metal cage covered in roses, had been ruined. 

The rose bushes had been chopped down leaving only stubs and all the debris from the plants had been removed except for hundreds of petals left in the middle of the cage. 

Olwyn Taylor, who lives in Denton, is one of those who tends to the roses once a week and found the garden in this state. 

Olwyn, 74, has looked after the roses along with four other retirees in a group known as the Debdale Diggers for the past two years. She visits the park most days but had not passed the rose garden since the previous Friday. 

She said: “We have worked all winter into summer on the rose beds for the benefit of everyone using the park.” 

Paul Kirkham, Secretary to The Friends of Debdale Park, had words of praise for the Debdale Diggers. He said: “Without them there would be no flower beds." 

“It is therefore very disheartening when plants are either stolen or destroyed. If this didn't happen the park could be even nicer.” 

Olwyn said she had written to her Ward Councillor about the issue, as she was unsure why the feature had been cut down. 

When approached for comment, a representative from Manchester City Council told the M.E.N.: "We are aware of this incident and the significant distress it has caused for the volunteer gardeners at Debdale Park, who do so much to help make the park a better place for the benefit of all residents.  We encourage anyone who has any further information to come forward." 

Paul said that although this incident has been upsetting, it won’t discourage the volunteers from the work they do: “The Friends are a strong enough group to take this in their stride.”  

He hopes that this incident will only raise awareness of the group’s work and encourage more people to get involved. 

Debdale Park is one of the biggest inner-city parks in Manchester and won the Green Flag Community Award in 2014.  

The Friends of Debdale Park also won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in the same year. 

For more information on The Friends of Debdale Park, visit www.friendsofdebdalepark.co.uk