A COMMUNITY garden, made possible by a £10,000 grant, has opened in Sale.

The Mayor of Trafford Councillor Jane Baugh, Sale East and Wythenshawe MP Paul Goggins, Cllr Barry Brotherton and Trafford Housing Trust (THT) chief executive Matthew Gardiner joined Chapel Walk flats residents for the official opening of the seating area on August 23.

Thomas Smith, treasurer of the Chapel Walks Social Group who have campaigned for years to create the garden, said the day was a huge success.

“It was a great day and we appreciate what everybody has done to help us.

“The garden is going to be a centrepoint for the flats and we hope in the future it will help to bring people together to make friends,” he said.

The group received a grant of £10,500 from THT’s Sale Community Panel to create the garden, which includes picnic tables and benches for the area’s 90 plus residents to use with their friends and family.

Residents had decorated the garden for the launch with balloons and bunting and two plaques were unveiled by the Mayor, one to commemorate the opening and another to remember the group’s project manager Christina Purdy.

Christina, a chapel walk resident, played a large part in making the garden possible but died earlier this year - before it was completed.

Jane Green, housing manager at Trafford Housing Trust, said: "It was great to see the residents of Chapel Walks sit and enjoy their new bench area that they were able to put up thanks to money from the community panel.

“It is always good to see the community coming together to enjoy a great day out in the garden. THT was delighted to help support this event."