ENORMOUS new flowers have blossomed in a park – and they will be there brightening up the landscape throughout winter. Students from Priory, St Andrew s and Wilshere Dacre Schools helped Triangle Community Garden volunteers to revitalise the mural on the

ENORMOUS new flowers have blossomed in a park - and they will be there brightening up the landscape throughout winter.

Students from Priory, St Andrew's and Wilshere Dacre Schools helped Triangle Community Garden volunteers to revitalise the mural on the sports pavilion in Ransom's Recreation Ground, Hitchin.

After graffiti had obliterated the last mural, done in 2002, local residents asked North Herts District Council to paint over it, which it did with the help of the Young Offenders service.

But one wall was left unpainted to allow a new mural to be created.

"We are really pleased with the finished mural and with the turn-out of people who came along to help. At one point the adults couldn't reach the mural because of the row of children painting along the bottom," said organiser Vicky Wyer.

"We are now really hoping that would-be graffiti artists will respect the mural and leave it to speak for itself, but we have some spare paint to touch it up in case. Paint for the mural was provided by the council.

The community garden group uses part of the pavilion as a tool store, and there are plans to convert another unused changing room into a workshop for crafts and woodwork projects. "We are very relieved that the council and Football Association have managed to find a way of securing a future for the pavilions," said Ms Wyer.

"We plan to run training sessions for people with learning difficulties from the pavilion, making simple products such as bird boxes, bird feeders, and willow wigwams. Having a workshop so close to the community garden will be invaluable to us especially when the weather is too poor to work outdoors."

The group has been providing gardening sessions for all abilities, including adults with learning difficulties, for almost a year now, in close collaboration with community care workers from local day centres.

The garden's organisers have just won funding from the Community Champions Fund to expand this work into a pilot social enterprise project with new tools, resources and a website. At present run by volunteers, the garden scheme will soon be led by a salaried part-time project leader, if future funding bids prove successful.

l Organisers are holding Hitchin's very own Apple Day again this year on Saturday, October 21, from 10am to 2pm in Market Place.

Attractions will include apple tasting and identification, apple juice, home-made apple and pear cakes, and information on buying local food in season.

To find out more about the Triangle Community Garden, call Vicky Wyer on 01462 648525 or email triangle.garden@ntlworld.com