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The £14million regeneration of Stanley Park is complete. On Sunday (26 July) a huge community party is being held in the Grade II listed park to celebrate the completion of its two-year regeneration. The event starts at midday when Lib Dem Councillor Berni Turner, the city council's executive member for the environment, will take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially re-open the whole park. Throughout the day, visitors will be able to enjoy a huge array of activities for all the family including donkey rides, soccer skills from Everton Football Club, a falconry display, Ju Jitsu training sessions, face painting, fishing skills, and an employment and training advice area. To make the most of the newly refurbished bandstand, a brass band and choir will be providing some musical entertainment. And, free pedal-powered rickshaws will be on hand as an environmentally friendly way for people to travel around the park. Councillor Turner said: "This celebration event is the perfect opportunity for people across the city to come and see the fantastic results of more than two years work and dedication. "Stanley Park really is the jewel in North Liverpool's crown and its transformation is spectacular. "This is one of the key events of Liverpool's Year of the Environment and reinforces our commitment to encouraging people to make the most of the green havens on their doorsteps. "The restoration of this park has really been a critical and symbolic piece in the jigsaw to regenerate the north of the city, and it can only improve the quality of life for residents who live there." Sunday's event, which runs until 5pm, will also give people a sneak peek of one of the park's major highlights - the Isla Gladstone Conservatory. The Conservatory officially re-opens in August and will not only provide a café for park visitors, but will also be a perfect venue for big events such as weddings and corporate dinners. The event on the 26th has been funded by Stepclever, who aim to generate enterprise culture in North Liverpool and South Sefton. Other developments around the 143 year old park include the restoration of all the intricate ironwork throughout the area which has been painstakingly restored by specialists and stonemasons who worked on the sandstone bridges using old photographs to make sure they were restored inline with the original design. Improvements to accessibility for all park users have been made along with the provision of public toilets and car parking. CCTV around the Isla Gladstone Conservatory has also been installed. Work began on the project in November 2007 and it is one of the country's largest urban park restoration schemes. The scheme has been funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Objective One and Housing Market Renewal Initiative and the Working Neighbourhood Fund. The development is designed to be faithful to Kemp's original vision for the park and at the same time meet today's needs such as community facilities, wildlife areas and playgrounds. Stanley Park Fact File:
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