So, what can you do?

At the moment, things are not looking good, but there are things that you can do.

• Make your Councillors accountable. Contact them, and make them justify themselves.  If they can, fine, but at they moment they just seem to want to get rid of the problem that is Watling Gate by offloading it onto us, the people who pay them. The address of Trafford Town Hall is here.
• Be There! If you wish to stop the development, go to meetings.  These will be advertised on the web site under the news section.
• Let's have your flash of inspiriation. Come up with alternative suggestions for the building.  Give me ideas, or, even better, practical help.  I am particularly interested to hear from anybody who could help restore it for community use, or who might be willing to take it on with no additional land beyond that previously used by the Nursery.
• Money money money. If you have some spare cash, help support legal fights against the removal of covenants and against the planning application.
• Descendants. If you are, or know, or know where to find, a living relative of Lt Col CE Newton, get in touch! It's your ancestor's generous and public-spirited bequest that the Council are trying to overturn!
• Get in touch - Can we Quote you? Contact us and express your support.
• With a little help from my Friends. Join the Friends of Newton Park, which meets at the Taverners Arms on Park Road the first Wednesday of every month.  Push for improvements and support it in activities such as bulb planting.  Currently, for instance, the Group is looking at improving the formal garden next to Watling Gate, and is looking for volunteers to do some hard digging.
• Use it or Lose it! Most importantly, USE AND ENJOY THE PARK. 

UPDATE

Heritage Fund Lottery bid Since the decision to sell Watling Gate was successfully recalled, The Friends of Newton Park have are actively seeking to retain the building in public ownership, for the use of the community, by submitting a bid to the Heritage Lottery. In order to do this, they will need to raise 10% of the total required. However, with your help, this is a not impossible task.

• In Kind contributions: It is possible to give donations in kind, rather than cash. So, if you have a skill to contribute, contact me to donate your services and give something back to your community (in return, I promise a bit of free advertising);
• Watling Gate Alumni: How many locals went to Watling Gate Nursery. Wouldn't you like to save your past?
• Charitable Organizations: How many of you charities out there are sitting on surpluses that are doing nothing but working for banks. Well, why not, once the Friends have proved that they are serious by putting together a bid, give them an interest free loan, to be paid back out of the income from the ongoing funding arrangements. It doesn't have to be much - £100 here, £100 there, it all helps.
• Businesses Support your local community!
• Covenants: If the Friends were to form a charity, then they could ask donors to covenant their donations, thereby getting Gordon to contribute that little bit extra;