VOLUNTEERS have mucked in to help protect an Eden home from future flooding.

All over Cumbria, local communities have been busy recovering from the deluge brought by Storm Desmond in December 2015.

One such case is Peter Wilson-Fish of Colby, near Appleby, whose river bank was damaged.

It required trees to be replanted in order to help stabilise the bank, protect the property and reduce the potential impact of flooding should this extreme weather hit the county again.

Once alerted to the problem, the Environment Agency (EA) contacted Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) to recruit volunteers to help with this process.

They in turn contacted Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) who quickly mobilised a group of volunteers.

Led by Paul Greaves, River Action Group Co-ordinator, for Eden Rivers Trust, a group of volunteers planted over 50 native trees, supplied by the Environment Agency, in an attempt to stabilise this eroding section of the river bank.

Trees included goat willow, oak, silver birch, hawthorn and black thorn, alder and hazel.

“I was really pleased to be able to bring local volunteers along to support this collaborative project.” said Mr Greaves.

“A few hours effort from the volunteers will hopefully provide benefits for local people and wildlife for years to come."

Mike Farrell, Fisheries Project Officer at the EA, said: “Given a chance to establish themselves, the trees will provide a natural defence against erosion whilst also providing habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial animals.”