A STRETFORD community group is celebrating after receiving a £500 grant to publish a 'Community Map' to promote all the organisations based in Trafford's biggest public park.

The Friends of Longford Park (FOLP) received the grant from the National Communities Resource Centre as part of the Community Futures Training and Small Grants Programme.

FOLP became eligible for the grant after Jean Byrne, one of its volunteers, attended a training course at Trafford Hall, near Chester, to learn about the Community Mapping process.

The aim of the two-day residential course is to empower ordinary people to get involved in having a positive impact in the development of the wider community.

The course led to FOLP doing an audit to find out how many other community, sports and commercial organisations use the buildings and open spaces in the park. They had expected to find about 20 groups but were surprised to find that there are nearly 40 groups and businesses.

Details of these are all now included on the Community Map, launched at a park event in June.

More than 7,500 copies of the map have been widely distributed in Stretford, Firswood and Chorlton. Copies are still available at the Park Cafe and there is a PDF version available to download in the Local Communities Section on the Friends of Longford Park web site friendsoflongfordpark.org.uk/