Volunteers improve the park through planting, repairs, and advocating for nature.
The Friends group does a lot there. They plant trees and pretty flowers, which makes the parkland better near the Abbey. The Abbey also has a museum.
They added an orchard with fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums, and hazels. People can pick the fruit later, and the group might even make juice.
Alan Crump is a member who says planting trees is good exercise. You can meet new people that way, too; it’s like a green workout place.
Crump thinks the park is great and hopes to make it even better. He wants more plants and different animals there, and believes more people should visit.
The Friends group helps the park in other ways. They encourage the council to protect nature, as the council sometimes lacks the funds to do so.
Volunteers built a wildflower bank near the A65 road. They hope it attracts bees and bugs, and that people might use the park more often as a result.
Crump says local leaders support the group, which seeks new members. They saved Abbey House Museum recently, which made people care more about the area.
The Friends group has about 15 members now. Hyde Park Source also works there, caring for the memorial gardens weekly. These gardens are by the museum.
The Friends are friends with other groups, including the Leeds Pétanque Club, which is near the Vesper Gate pub. They also got money from Morley Glass.