GREEN-FINGERED residents have been urged to help complete work at a community garden at a Bradford church.

The congregation at Bolton St James Church are building a community garden on derelict land behind the church and work is ongoing.

The garden will include raised flower beds, fruit trees, a vegetable patch and a reflective area for residents to sit on benches.

But now organisers have called for more residents to come forward and offer their services to help complete the work.

Most of the work on the garden has been carried out by volunteers from Bradford Environmental Education Service (BEES) so far.

Will Sutcliffe, project organiser, has called on residents to help complete the garden’s work.

He said: “There is quite a lot more work to do. We are about two-thirds of a way through it.

“The garden will serve the community and will be open to everyone. It is the church’s way of engaging more with the local community.

“It has been a derelict piece of land for many years.

“It will be available to local people who may not have access to a garden.

“We had originally hoped it would be finished for this summer but it will be later in the year now. We are keen to get it up and running.

“It is about 12 months since we have made a start on it.

“We are looking for more people to come along and join the project. We are a relatively small congregation.

“It would be fantastic if we could get more people to help us with it and then use it and help bring the place to life. The BEES have been absolutely vital and have done the vast majority of the work so far.”

Bradford Council granted planning permission for the widening of an existing opening in a perimeter wall onto Bolton Road and the building of a shallow ramp to enable wheelchair access.

This application, granted in March this year, also included a path to be constructed in the church’s garden and the installation of a wheelchair-width gate in the all which currently prevents access to the derelict plot of land.

The work on the garden has been funded by a legacy left by a church member who died and a grant from the Bolton and Undercliffe ward fund.

Councillor Michael Stelling (Lib Dem, Bolton and Undercliffe) also urged the community to sign up to help with work at the garden and get involved in the project.

He said: “I would urge the rest of the community to come forward and help people at Bolton St James Church to make this happen.

“Anything that gets people out in the garden and for them to see how fruit and vegetables are grown, is of great benefit, particularly to younger children.”

Anyone interested in helping compete the garden, is urged to call Mr Sutcliffe on 07505 053149.