Friday 13th February 2026  

Stafford Orchard Archive

The 2010 Park Redevelopment project

In February 2006 a small group of enthusiastic volunteers and Quorn Parish Council councillors met to discuss applying for a grant under a newly announced Parks for People scheme from the Heritage and Big Lottery Funds. This was a scheme aimed at much larger councils so was a major challenge and involved a huge amount of hard work.

The process took five years, culminating in 2010/11 when Quorn's faded and underused park was transformed into the vibrant, welcoming and fun place that it is today, with something for everyone.

For more information about the park redevelopment, download:
The Refurbishment of Stafford Orchard 2006 - 2010 and beyond.

Something for Everyone: Stafford Orchard, Quorn

In 2020, the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University was commissioned by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to conduct an evaluation of six UK parks, including Stafford Orchard, which had been funded by the HLF Parks for People initiative. The researchers used statistics from previous surveys of park usage and interviewed not only members of the original project team, but also representatives of organisations using the park and members of the public.

For the full report, download:
Something for everyone: Stafford Orchard, Quorn, October 2020.