Kirkbie Green Community Group has been awarded a £500 grant to restore a valued open space.

The grant by Kendal Town Council's biodiversity and nature recovery fund will enable the group, with aid from Kendal Conservation Volunteers, to plant wild flowers and ferns in Kirkbie Green, near Gooseholme Park in the Lakeland town.

Previously, the green served as a common muddy shortcut.

However, the group's efforts have relegated such traffic to an adjacent tarmac footpath, enabling more plant growth and facilitating the transformation of the green into a thriving, biodiverse area.

Chair of the Town Council’s Environment Committee, Cllr Eamonn Hennessy, said: "We are delighted to fund the work of this community group and see residents once again actively supporting nature recovery on their doorstep.

"Kirkbie Green will be enhanced as a result and we encourage more community groups to apply so we can repeat positive action across Kendal’.

Austin Challis, a local resident, spoke warmly of the project.

He said: "It was a warm and unifying experience for the Kirkbie Green residents and local groups supporting rewilding projects in our community. A celebration of repurposing our green space from quagmire to green corridor."

Local MP, Tim Farron, joined the Mayor and councillors in presenting the cheques.

He said: "This is exactly what we need in our communities - spaces linking up green corridors and building sustainable environment for future generations".

Demonstrating its commitment to biodiversity, Kendal Town Council has adopted a Pesticides Policy, ensuring it no longer uses pesticides in managing the green spaces under its care.

An additional trial using Creeping Thyme has been approved for a patch of roadside land, with hopes that it will outcompete weeds and reduce reliance on strong chemical pesticides - a clear win for watercourses and insect life.

As part of the bid to promote environmental initiatives across Kendal, residents are being encouraged to apply for a Biodiversity grant or find out more about the council’s environmental policies.

Information can be accessed via the council's website or through contacting their office directly at office@kendaltowncouncil.gov.uk