Volunteers clear up garden

They were soon at work stripping ivy off the walls, digging out tired shrubs, cleaning the water trough ready for replanting, weeding between paving stones, clearing paths and generally giving the garden a tidy up.

Gill Young, leader of the Friends of Crow Nest Park volunteers, was full of praise for the group.

"It's a large area and there's always so much to do,” she said. “The garden certainly looks a lot better for their hard work. And they were so cheerful despite the rain!"

Thanks go to Ashley Barnett and Darren Wilde (ivy strippers), Paul Haigh and Brian (grubbing out old shrubs), and Simon Crowther, Helen Towes and Thomas Sampson (paths, paving and water trough).

The Wildflower Garden in the park, which was graded outstanding by Yorkshire in Bloom judges in 2014, is maintained by volunteers from the Friends of Crow Nest Park which is always looking for more people to help.

Enthusiasm is the main quality needed to get involved. Gardening skills can be taught if necessary and tools will be provided.

Contact Gill Young on 01924 500167 or come along on a Thursday morning.

Green for Go encourages people with a learning disability, mental health difficulties, a physical disability or long term health conditions to get involved with all sorts of outdoor tasks in the community, such as caring for allotments, growing food, making planters and bird boxes, and taking part in community tidy ups and conservation tasks.

The group meets regularly on Thursdays in Crow Nest Park but works all over North Kirklees. Contact Becky Houlding on 0113 238 0601 for more information.