Lord Mayor launches the first Openshaw Festival

Lord Mayor launches the first Openshaw Festival

29 September 2015

Openshaw celebrated in style at the weekend as the sun shone for the first ever Openshaw Festival – held at Lime Square shopping centre and Delamare Park.

Ashton Old Road in Higher Openshaw was decorated with bunting in the run up to the event which was hosted with a Key 103 Roadshow on the Saturday and kicked off with a Sunday morning Fun Run in the park on the second day of the two day event.

Organisers are now hoping to make the festival an annual event after hundreds of people turned out to join in the weekend of family fun on Saturday and Sunday (26th and 27th September).

The team at Lime Square worked with Manchester City Council and Lovell Homes along with other local businesses and stakeholders in east Manchester to deliver the packed programme of family fun across the weekend.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester Cllr Paul Murphy OBE opened the Festival and welcomed the investment in this part of east Manchester in recent years including the recently completed Lime Square district centre and the new 164 home housing development being delivered close by on Ashton Old Road.

He said: “What we see here today is a declaration of confidence by Dransfield Properties and the City Council working together in partnership and providing something as excellent as this.

I’ve been all around Manchester in my year of office and I’ve got to say this is one of the finest examples of investment and confidence in an area such as Openshaw that I’ve seen through my tenure.”

Events ran throughout the weekend with fairground rides, music, and entertainment. There were cycling activities, afternoon tea, a car display, games and rides as well as the Key 103 Media Bus and entertainment from local schools and musical groups.

On Sunday the world class distance runner Ross Millington, who’s from Stockport, set off a Fun Run and Health Walk in Delamere Park.

Mark Dransfield, Managing Director of Dransfield Properties which owns and manages Lime Square, said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend and a great opportunity to bring the whole community together. We really hope that this is something we can build up as an annual event which will get bigger and better each year.

"Our company has been working in this part of east Manchester for many years now and we’re extremely proud to be part of the regeneration of the area and of course to be working with a great team of people on the Festival.”

The event was launched as work is due to get started on the new Lovell Homes development on Ashton Old Road. The company is building 164 new homes on a site close to Lime Square.

The company sponsored the mini golf and giant games area at the Festival and also brought an interactive housebuilding activity to the event.

Clare Noakes, regional sales manager for Lovell Homes North West, said: “The first Openshaw Festival was great fun and really brought the whole community together. We were delighted to be a part of it and hope it continues year after year. We’re looking forward to starting work on our East Avenue development, which will bring high quality two, three and four-bedroom homes to the area.”

To see more pictures from the festival visit http://www.lime-sq.co.uk/gallery.php

Pictures from the Openshaw Festival
NOTES FOR EDITOR
Partners in the Openshaw Festival include: Morrisons, Lime Square, Lovell Homes, Manchester City Council, Connell College Adactus, Mosscare Housing, Manchester AgeUK, The Gym Group, Our Openshaw, Manchester Settlement and Greater Manchester Police.
 

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk