Meet Debbie and the Friends of Alderman Kneeshaw Park
A park at the heart of HU9
Friends of Alderman Kneeshaw Park is a charity created by local people who care deeply about their neighbourhood and this much-loved public space. The park has always been an important part of life in HU9. Many residents remember it as a lively place where children played, schools gathered and neighbours met. Over time, as youth services declined, families no longer felt comfortable letting children play there. The park began to feel neglected, and the community felt the loss.
The charity exists to lead the social, environmental and spiritual regeneration of the park, helping it remain a safe and valued place for everyone. By working alongside residents, families, schools and sports clubs, they are creating a place where people can connect, belong and thrive.
The group was created in 2014 and became a registered charity in 2015 to help restore the park. In 2018, Debbie Morrell, now Project Manager, joined the organisation. Having grown up nearby, she understood both what the park had once meant to local people and what it could become again. The need was clear: residents wanted a safe, welcoming and vibrant space where they could come together, connect with one another and feel proud of where they live.
Support that helped the organisation grow
The first significant step forward came in 2021 when the charity received funding through the Ideas Fund, a programme run by the British Science Association and funded by Wellcome. The fund gave organisations freedom to explore ways of improving mental wellbeing through research partnerships. For Friends of Alderman Kneeshaw Park, that meant spending time listening. Residents were asked what they wanted from the park and invited to help shape its future. Slowly, trust returned and optimism began to grow.
Earlier in their journey, a Two Ridings Community Foundation Small Grants Fund award enabled the charity to purchase IT equipment for volunteers. More than equipment, it helped build the organisation’s skills and capacity, laying foundations that would support future development and stronger relationships across HU9.
In 2023, support from the Dulverton Trust through Two Ridings brought Jim’s Shed to life. This marked an important turning point. While previous funding had strengthened the organisation behind the scenes, this grant created visible activity within the park In 2023, support from the Dulverton Trust through Two Ridings brought Jim’s Shed to life. This marked an important turning point. While previous funding had strengthened the organisation behind the scenes, this grant created visible activity within the park itself. Jim’s Shed provided a place for people to meet, talk and learn practical skills together. Just as importantly, it showed local people that the park was becoming active once again.
Over the years, the charity also benefited from the HEY Confident Futures Leadership Network. For Debbie, it provided the time and space to reflect, develop as a leader and build confidence in navigating change. The result was a stronger organisation with clearer leadership and direction. Investment in people proved just as valuable as investment in projects.
“The New to Leadership programme didn’t just strengthen our organisation; it transformed me as a leader.”
As the charity matured, further grants helped it take the next steps. Funding in 2024 and 2025 supported staff time to develop a five-year strategy, embedding long-term planning at a crucial stage in the organisation’s journey. More recently, support from the Randal Foundation Fund strengthened volunteer recruitment and development, helping ensure volunteers felt valued, supported and ready to contribute.
In 2026, another Two Ridings small grant enabled the charity to establish a Stakeholder Steering Group with support from an experienced facilitator. The group has helped create a strong community-led structure, ensuring local voices continue to shape decisions about the park’s future.
Together, these investments have provided far more than funding. They have strengthened leadership, developed skills, supported volunteers and created the foundations for a resilient organisation making a lasting difference in HU9.
A present partner
Throughout this journey, Two Ridings has remained a constant and present partner. Debbie often speaks about the importance of being able to pick up the phone, talk openly and feel understood. As Debbie shared with us…
“There has always been a friendly voice at the other end of the phone. I never felt like I had to have all the answers before I called; I could talk honestly about what was happening, what we were worried about and what we hoped for, and I knew I would be met with kindness and understanding. Just being able to do that makes such a difference.
“Then going on to the New to Leadership programme with HEY Confident Futures, that changed my life. It gave me headspace at a time when everything felt busy and heavy; it helped me to set boundaries, understand myself as a leader and gave me the confidence to grow with the organisation rather than feel like I was also trying to catch up with it. The friends and connections I made through the programme have been incredible. They are people I can turn to, learn from and lean on.
“Two Ridings has been with us every step of the way; having unrestricted funding gave us the security to plan, to grow and to deal with the unexpected. It helped us feel steady and able to move forward.”
A future shaped by community
Today, Alderman Kneeshaw Park is steadily becoming the place local people hoped it could be. It feels safer, more welcoming and more connected, with residents returning not only to enjoy the space, but to help shape it.
The charity is now looking towards its next chapter. Its five-year plan includes employing a full-time project lead and two part-time outreach workers, enabling it to expand activities, support older people, strengthen youth engagement and deepen its work across the neighbourhood.
Its progress has been thoughtful and rooted in local need. Each grant, programme and relationship has played a part, helping build a stronger organisation with the confidence and capacity to keep moving forward. Friends of Alderman Kneeshaw Park are still writing their story, and the future looks bright.
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