The Friends of Sunny Bank Vale, Droylsden, Tameside, Greater Manchester, is a community group formed in 2011 and run entirely by volunteers. It was set up by the local community to make the area now known as Sunny Bank Vale a welcoming place for all who wanted to visit and enjoy its natural surroundings.

Originally a steep valley created by the Sunny Bank brook (a tributary of the River Medlock) in the late 1970s/early 1980s, the brook was culverted and the site was used for landfill. Once this was completed, grass and trees were planted and footpaths laid but the site fell into neglect over the years until members of the local community decided to take action. The community group set about reclaiming the site for nature and for people to enjoy.

Today, Sunny Bank Vale comprises 15.378 hectares of woodland, wet areas and open grass land with a network of well maintained footpaths accessible to everyone 365 days of the year.

Sunny Bank Vale includes the innovative “Duck Trail” which is a 1.8km junior orienteering course created in conjunction with the local Greenside Primary School with caricature pictures of ducks produced by the pupils.

Sunny Bank Vale and the friends Group have received many awards and currently have a Green Flag and a classification of Level 5 Outstanding by RHS Britain in Bloom. In 2020, the Group was awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

So please come and visit Sunny Bank Vale with all its benefits for physical and mental well being, but please respect the natural surroundings and the hard work and dedication of the volunteers.

Awards and Achievements