WINSFORD schoolchildren have joined together to give part of the town centre a new lease of life this summer.

The scheme is a collaborative project between the Winsford Academy, Winsford Cross Shopping Centre and Incredible Edibles Winsford.

Green-fingered pupils have been using their skills to deliver some year round colour Fountain Court, located within the centre, and create a more attractive environment for visitors and shoppers.

The aim of the project is to encourage more general community schemes in the town centre.

A Winsford Academy spokesman said: “In conjunction with the Winsford Town Council, supported by the mayor, schools and other community groups have begun and are encouraged to engage on what will hopefully become a long term project to fill planters, flower pots, hanging baskets, display local artwork, educate and learn a little bit more about combined community spirit.”

There are now plans for children to work on maintaining the initial planting during the summer holidays in preparation for an autumn hanging basket competition or display.

Organisers hope to create creating the ‘hanging gardens of Winsford’, featuring as many as 100 hanging baskets.

The project can also count on the support of Incredible Edibles, a community project that aims to turn Winsford’s underused green spaces into public vegetable patches.

Work has already begun to build half a dozen larger planters that will mostly be filled with edibles for the community to take away.

There are already cucamelons, tumbling tomatoes and courgettes ready to pick in the centre. There are also plans for a large centre piece formed by recycling an artificial Christmas tree.

Ailsa Gaskill-Jones, the mayor of Winsford, said: "It is brilliant to see Incredible Edibles growing going on the shopping centre however all the credit should go to the pupils and staff from the Academy.

“They have done an absolutely fab job and I know they want to develop this further in the future.

“The fact that Incredible Edibles Winsford and the Academy are able to work together is great and I really hope this relationship will go from strength to strength."

To find out how to volunteer, contact Di Batterton 07710 264927 or email diane.batterton@winsfordacademy.org.uk