A TEAM of youngsters from across the borough have transformed an overgrown piece of land into a food-growing area and communal space in Farnworth.

The land at the allotments, off Lavender Road, was cleared, dug out and revitalised by nine volunteers over eight days.

The work was done as part of a project between Bolton at Home, The Prince’s Trust and environmental charity Groundwork.

The area features new growing beds, a clay oven for outdoor cooking and new seating for children, all designed by the young people involved.

The site, which has been named Willow Hey, has been handed back to Bolton at Home, who hope to use the space to help local people grow their own food, eat better and save money.

Nathaniel Evans, aged 23, volunteered for the project after joining The Prince’s Trust a couple of months ago.

He said: “This project appealed to me as it gave us a lot of creative freedom and a lot of land to do our own thing.

“I really liked getting stuck in, like when I was digging out clay for the oven.

“I’d love to see it in action in the spring and I’ll come back regularly to see how it’s developing and being used. I’m a designer, so I’d love to do a mural for it in the future.”

Rogan Mills, team leader for The Prince’s Trust, said: “This was something totally new for most of the group, who come from different walks of life. It was one of the toughest projects we’ve worked on and involved a lot of hard graft. It was like a jungle a few weeks ago and needed a lot of digging out. I’m very proud of what our group has achieved.”

Chris Wood, community development officer for Bolton at Home, added: “The group has shown a lot of effort, commitment and creativity, which we really appreciate. We’re now looking to get community groups and schools involved and use it as a training centre.”

The Prince's Trust supports 13 to 30 year olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.

Its programmes give young people the practical and financial support they need to stabilise their lives.

It helps develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or training.