Thornes Millennium Green: Wakefield green space entered for Britain in Bloom competition to celebrate 25th anniversary as it holds fundraising event

The fundraising event will take place at 10am Saturday, June 22 in St James’ Church on Denby Dale Road. There will be coffee available as well as a cake sale, raffle, bric-a-brac stall and photographs on display of what the volunteers have been working on recently.

Thornes Millennium Green – located on Denby Dale Road – is one of 245 green spaces which were created since 1998 as part of a government initiative to celebrate the millennium.

Barbara Preston, one of only a handful of volunteers which maintain the green space, said there is a common misconception that the space is funded and run by the council, and that the green space is reliant on more funding and volunteers.

She said: "We desperately need more [volunteers] because so many people use it.

“An awful amount of people think it’s a council run park. We would love more people to get involved. [It is] something that’s done by the community for the community.”

Barbara has been volunteering at the Green every Monday for about three and a half years. She said the money raised will go towards working on the path as well as general maintenance.

Barbara said she enjoys volunteering at the Green: “It’s keeping our lovely community green space lovely for us all, [and] it’s paying back the community. It’s a great social time as well; we go every Monday morning and we work as a group and it’s really nice.”

According to trustee Denise Thorpe, Thornes Millennium Green was officially opened by David Hinchliffe MP on November 27, 1999. A time capsule was also buried on September 3, 2000 to celebrate the Millennium. It contains items from the youngest and oldest residents and the trustees. It is expected to be dug up by future trustees in September 2100.

Thornes Millennium Green is due to be assessed next month by judges from the Royal Horticultural Society as part of the prestigious annual Britain in Bloom competition.