Volunteers from National Highways’ A57 Link Roads team rolled up their sleeves to help a thriving community project prepare for its next phase of growth.
The team, including partners from Balfour Beatty and Flannery Plant Hire, cleared a large overgrown corner plot for Hattersley Projects, removing dense vegetation and bushes to make the area accessible for future community use. They also transformed the site's forest school by clearing weeds and overgrowth, ensuring it is ready to welcome children and families throughout the summer.
Established in 2019 and run entirely by volunteers, the Hattersley-based project has grown into a vibrant community hub featuring a garden centre, family allotments, an onsite café and a range of activities promoting health, wellbeing and outdoor learning for people of all ages.
Hattersley Projects Director Lesley Henthorne said:
“Our volunteers work incredibly hard to maintain such a large site, but it's a constant challenge. The support from the A57 Link Roads team has made a real difference, helping us tackle jobs that would otherwise have taken weeks and creating space we can now develop for the benefit of the whole community. We want to thank the entire team from the bottom of our hearts for the sheer amount of time, effort, manpower, and dedication they have given.”
As part of the volunteering work completed, supply chain partner Flannery Plant Hire provided a mini digger to help clear the overgrown land. The newly opened area will initially be used for a composting facility and seating, with longer-term plans for further community use.
The team also filled two skips with weeds and vegetation while restoring access to the forest school, which welcomes more than 60 children during holiday sessions and hosts school lessons throughout term time, including specialist SEN provision. The outdoor learning space features sandpits, a music wall, stage, fire pit and mud kitchen.
Colleagues further donated several large clear plastic screens to use as wipeable, wall mounted art panels for children and other community groups using the site.
The volunteering forms part of the wider social value programme being delivered by National Highways and Balfour Beatty as part of the A57 Link Roads scheme, supporting local organisations, schools and charities across the area.
Andrew Scatchard, National Highways Senior Project Manager, said:
“Supporting local communities is an important part of how we deliver the A57 Link Roads scheme. By working alongside our partners, we can combine our skills, resources and enthusiasm to help initiatives like Hattersley Projects continue to thrive. We look forward to helping more in the future.”
Balfour Beatty Social Impact Advisor Rachel Hunter said:
“The Hattersley Projects team has created something truly special for the local community. We were delighted to support them by volunteering with some of the more labour-intensive work, leaving them free to focus on developing the site and delivering activities that benefit local people. It's exactly the kind of partnership our social value programme is designed to support.”
Alongside its allotments and large polytunnels for growing plants and seedlings, the site is home to beehives and a newly established pond. Hattersley Projects regularly hosts health and wellbeing groups and family events and is funded through community grants and plant sales.
The A57 Link Roads project includes the creation of two new link roads:
- Mottram Moor Link Road – a new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57 at Mottram Moor.
- A57 Link Road – a new single carriageway link from the A57 at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.
The scheme will transform travel in the North by reducing congestion, improving journeys between Manchester and Sheffield, boosting travel connections and supporting economic growth. It will also reduce noise and pollution levels for the communities of Mottram-in-Longdendale.
Latest information about the scheme is available on the National Highways website.
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