Green fingered volunteers dig in to clean up

GARDENS on a deprived Middlesbrough estate are being spruced up in a partnership between Erimus Housing and a North-east voluntary group.

Members of project action group NE1 are digging in to clean up gardens in the area with help from Middlesbrough’s largest housing association.

Twenty volunteers, including people from across the country as well as the world, are getting green fingers by revamping 40 gardens in Grove Hill.

The group members are also holding a hanging basket workshop for local residents who have signed up to take part.

The events are being carried out during a week until Friday 28th July with equipment loaned to the group by organisations including Erimus Housing, Erimus Building Services and Dunelm Property Services.

Erimus has also sponsored refreshments for the volunteers and supplied gloves and caps.

Bob Brady, Chair of the Board for Erimus Housing, said: “This is just another example of how we can help boost the quality of life in Middlesbrough and how we can work in partnership to achieve it.”

The clean-up was the brainchild of Reverend Martin Ramsden, who made a bid for help from the volunteers.

A leaflet drop led to 40 people asking for work to be carried out to their gardens and more than 50 people asking for hanging baskets.

Rev Ramsden said: “We made contact with the community and people were very keen for this to take place.

“We want to make a difference in the community.”