Opening of new £50,000 community garden in West Craven

A NEW £50,000 community garden has opened in Salterforth, West Craven.

The Salterforth Parish Council project features 41 raised beds, a polytunnel, orchard and a community hub, and has been paid for thanks to a £40,000 grant from the Lancashire Environmental Fund, and £10,000 from the National Lottery.

A spokesperson for the parish council said: "The benefits of the community garden are many; it stimulates social interaction, improves both mental and physical health; during the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw how we missed social interaction.

"There are also educational opportunities, with Salterforth School joining in, and we are also going to bring in gardening experts to offer advice on all aspects of gardening for the community."

The council hopes the garden will produce food and bring people closer to nature with the addition of bird feeders and hopefully, bee hives.

At the recent opening, the council welcomed the chair pf the Lancashire Environmental Fund, Shaun Turner and trustee John Drury.