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About The Forum and its Member Groups |
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Stockport Greenspace Forum is a voluntary umbrella organisation working to support and promote the voluntary Friends groups in Stockport who are maintaining and improving public parks and other green areas. The forum committee is made up of people from a variety of different greenspace groups across Stockport, including parks, country parks, allotments and cemeteries. The Friends groups are recognised by Stockport Council Greenspace Team as vital to the provision and maintenance of high quality green recreation areas throughout the borough. Through consultation we work to explore policy that affects Stockport's green spaces and to seek ways to improve and promote them. The Forum committee is recognised as the mouthpiece for the Friends groups and as such regular meetings are held between the Forum, SMBC Public Realm and SolutionsSK (as the current SMBC service contractor). In Stockport 46% of land is Green Belt and there are at least 146 recognised green spaces totaling 1816 hectares in the borough of which only 29 green spaces are formal parks with a total area of 360 hectares. Councils have no legal obligation to provide or maintain parks and therefore the work of volunteers together with the Stockport Council is key to maintaining and improving these parks and other green spaces. Stockport Greenspace Forum Mission Statement "Stockport Greenspace Forum will act as an umbrella organisation to support and promote the local community groups who are caring for Stockport’s green spaces, working with all stakeholders to achieve the Forum’s aims.’ Aims of the Forum: 1. To monitor and promote the effective care, maintenance and improvement of Stockport’s parks and green spaces and to act as a group to influence decision making with stakeholders. 2.To provide adequate information gathering, dissemination and communication systems to allow groups to benefit from news, funding opportunities, shared experiences and knowledge and to improve communication between groups. 3.To help groups promote the use of Stockport’s parks and green spaces by the community. 4.To raise the profile of Stockport’s green space volunteers and to encourage new volunteers.
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