Winter revamp for cemeteries

Over the last eight weeks, Manchester City Council’s cemeteries have undergone one of their biggest ever grounds maintenance improvement projects.

A team of over 20 people from Bereavement Services spent a week each at Gorton, Phillips Park, Blackley and Manchester General cemeteries and four weeks at Southern Cemetery, tidying shrubs and hedges and clearing paths.

The Council's workforce was supplemented by Community Payback teams who helped with many of the tasks that were being carried out.

Over the eight-week period over 2,500 trees were pruned with 200 tonnes of green waste being recycled.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, with a responsibility for cemeteries at Manchester City Council said: "When the grass has stopped growing at this time of the year it gives us the ideal opportunity to put our teams together and concentrate on carrying out improvement works that make the grounds within our cemeteries safer and more attractive places. It's a great team effort and the support we get from the Community Payback teams is of great benefit."

Caroline Edwards, Community Payback Manager from the Probation Service said: "We have been working with the Council's cemetery team now for the last six months and the type of work being carried out gives offenders the opportunity to payback within their local communities"

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