SUPPORTERS of Padiham's Memorial Park are to meet with council bosses in a bid to spruce up the park.

The Friends of the Park have asked Burnley Council's Parks and Leisure Chief, Simon Goff, to visit the park to see what can be done to improve its appearance.

The group is currently putting together its application for the prestigious Green Flag award and wants to make sure the park is good enough to retain its status.

The park was among the open spaces in East Lancashire awarded the prestigious Green Flag Awards for their standards of park management and contribution to the quality of life last year.

Witton Country Park, Blackburn, and Thompson Park, Burnley, were two of the other 58 sites in the North West chosen to fly the Green Flag next year.

The Green Flag Award scheme is the national standard for parks and green spaces and recognises the value of green spaces to communities, particularly in urban areas and rewards excellent standards of green space management.

Mayoress Hazel Rushton, of the Friends group, said: "Our application for the Green Flag is being prepared and we want to make sure we don't lose it so we are meeting with Simon to put together some ideas for what we can do to spruce up the park."

Burnley council has allotted £9,000 to provide a visitor centre in the park and Deputy Mayor of Burnley, Coun John Harbour, has asked for more money.

The visitor centre would be based in a presently derelict building which is currently boarded up. The Friends say its restoration alone would improve the appearance of the park.

Another planned initiative is a family musical event.

The leisure services section of Burnley Council has donated £1,000 towards the event.