GREEN-fingered Halliwell folk are preparing to get their hands dirty to spruce up a community centre.

More than a dozen residents living nearby the Halliwell UCAN centre have signed up to dig new flower beds around the centre.

They will be used to grow fruit and vegetables outside the Hatfield Road building — and the whole community will be able to use it.

The project has been made possible thanks to funding and support from Halliwell area forum, Bolton construction company Seddon which donated the necessary timber, and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

Volunteer Lynne Haighton said she was looking forward to the group getting started.

She added: “It’s taken quite a lot of time to get permission to do this and it’s nice — I just think when you make the environment beautiful, people are happier. We’ve got plans to plant all sorts of vegetables and fruit, including herbs in the front raised beds, as well as kiwi fruit, mushrooms, apples and pears.”

Wildlife Trust project officer Anna Clayton said the scheme was inspired by the Incredible Edible movement, where a group of volunteers grow fresh food that anyone can pick up.

She added: “At the end there will be a beautiful site that anyone who passes can try a variety of fresh food.

“We’re hoping to eventually run cooking classes in the centre with the food grown and some artists have expressed an interest in creating some artwork at the end of the beds.”

If it takes off, there are also plans to plant a community orchard off Avenue Street.

Halliwell resident Hiran Taylor decided to volunteer after enjoying growing his own vegetable in an allotment.

The 26-year-old said: “It should be good, hopefully it will make the centre greener at the front.”

The group’s first meeting is on Monday from 1pm to 3pm when they will start the initial tidy-up. Everyone is welcome.