A VOLUNTEER army is doing everything it can to turn a beauty spot into the ‘crown jewel’ of Darwen.

The Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods said it would like ‘more consistency’ in numbers at clean-up days, like one held on Saturday, so the group can focus on sprucing up more areas.

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Projects for the year will include giving the visitor centre garden a makeover after the group received a £2,000 grant from bakery Greggs with the possibility of adding a vegetable patch.

Secretary Annette Sultana said the clean-up days are going well but more firepower is needed.

She said: “Anybody can come along and help us out at these days and we would like some more consistency so we don’t get eight people one week and two the next.

“This weekend we did some general maintenance such as cleaning the signs which had got very dirty and tidying up the footpaths.

“But we could achieve so much more if there were a few more people. It could be the crown jewel of Darwen.

“We would like to make the visitor centre garden more community friendly perhaps adding a veg patch that we can get children more involved with.

“It is a real focal point when you go into the woods so we want it looking good.

“We will also really want to attack the Himalayan balsam when it hits in April and May because it gets everywhere.”

The Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods folded in 2015 after 15 years in existence following the lengthy illness of long-standing chairman Dennis Gillibrand, who died last year.

The group reformed 18 months ago and was branded as a ‘popular force’ in the community by Sunnyhurst councillor, Pete Hollings, when he stepped down as chairman in June.

But last August the woods suffered another setback when a major landslide saw trees collapse into a stream sparking safety fears.

United Utilities is still working to make the area safe and secure in the future with several footpath closures still in place.

Mrs Sultana said: “I think we have recovered well since reforming 18 months ago and we have done our best to keep the woods looking good despite the landslip.

“A meeting is happening with United Utilities this week and we hope that they might be able to open some of these footpaths again.”

Work has begun on preparing a ‘masterplan’ for the development of the woods.

A questionnaire is out which will assess its current assets and what needs to be upgraded.

Suggested improvements in the draft plan include better drainage, less steep steps, handrails alongside stairways and steep inclines, thinner vegetation to improve visibility and improved signage.