YOUNGSTERS in Westham are turning a piece of wasteland into a community garden.

A team of volunteers led by the Westham Youth Forum has set about transforming an area in Bedford Road for the public to enjoy.

The community garden project has been funded by a £2,000 grant from the Youth Capital Fund, while local company Stag Fencing has donated £2,000 of equipment and materials.

Staff from the Dorset firm joined local youngsters to erect fencing, planters and gates at the Bedford Road garden.

Chair of the youth forum Ryan Hope said: “It’s fantastic that Stag Fencing is donating the fencing, not many companies are still giving to charity at the moment.

“We will be turning a patch of wasteland into a community open space with picnic benches, flowers and raised flower beds.”

Managing director of the Stag Group Richard Clark said: “We welcome the opportunity to support local causes and projects such as this.

“It truly has made a significant improvement and I feel proud to have my team involved in this project.”

The Westham Youth Forum will be supported in the project by the Westham Cops (Community Orientated Problem Solving) group.

Cops chairman Chris Edwards said: “It was all Ryan’s idea, he is the driving force behind it and we are just supporting him as much as we can.

“I think it’s a brilliant idea because it has been an area that has been misused by children in the past and Ryan thought he could put together something that will improve it significantly.

“It will hopefully turn a bit of derelict and disused land into a valuable part of the community and somewhere people can get together and have barbecues on special occasions and things like.”

The community garden project follows a successful similar scheme at Fairway Court.

15 youngsters, parents and other volunteers will spend a week over Easter getting their hands dirty in the garden and anyone is invited to come along and pitch in.

On Friday, April 17 at 4pm they will be celebrating the end of the week-long project with a barbecue at the garden.