The Friends of the Carrs
The Friends of the Carrs grew out of the direct action taken by a number of local residents in 2004/5 to prevent the Carrs Car Park from being taken over by office workers parking for the day. The problem became so bad that there were no spaces for genuine users of the park, the playground or the Parish Hall.
As a result, the Action Group physically blocked the access to the car park for all those who were evidently not using it for the correct reasons, and this high profile action brought the matter to the attention of Macclesfield Borough Council.
The Friends of the Carrs was formed at a meeting in the Summer of 2005, held in the Parish Hall. The open meeting was attended by about 50 people. Though the meeting was intended to deal with parking, it became evident that MBC were interested in forming a group of local residents to help with the running of the Carrs Park, and to act as a communication channel between the residents and MBC.
Early landmark events
During the start-up period, the Committee arranged three landmark events: a River Clean Up in February 2006 attended by 46 members of the public (two skips were filled with 12 shopping trolleys, 3 bikes, and an assortment of roadworks signs); a Nature Day attended by over 800 visitors; and the first Balsam Bash, beginning the ongoing programme to remove Himalayan Balsam from the riverbanks.
The Friends of the Carrs has moved on from those early days, but the Committees that have and will follow will undoubtedly get inspiration from those that originally set up the group from scratch.
RHS Outstanding Award
In 2016, FOTC received the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood top award of “Outstanding” — and has continued to receive recognition for the care and dedication of its volunteers ever since.
We work closely with Cheshire East Council and the Bollin Valley Partnership to maintain and improve The Carrs for the benefit of all who enjoy it. Regular working parties take place throughout the year — clearing paths, managing riverbanks, planting trees and bulbs, and tackling invasive species like Himalayan Balsam.
Get involved
Whether you’d like to join a working party, attend one of our events, or simply stay informed about what’s happening in The Carrs, we’d love to hear from you. Use the contact page to get in touch, or follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.