GREEN schemes across East Lancashire are blooming, thanks to a cash boost from the county council.

LEAF - Lancashire Environmental Action Fund - gave £170,000 to various parish and community schemes, including a nature reserve at Fox Hill Bank, Hyndburn, a stained glass window feature at Clayton-le-Moors Community Centre and a landscaping project at St Mary's cemetery, also in Clayton-le-Moors.

Chairman of Lancashire County Council's planning, industrial development and tourism committee County Councillor George Slynn, visited some of the schemes to meet local people and see how individual projects were blossoming.

He said: "Community groups have been working hard to make their local environments greener. I was very impressed with the dedication people in East Lancashire have shown to improving their areas and I would urge anyone who wants to make a difference to their local environment to contact the county council to find out more."

The East Lancashire schemes involved helping the transformation of a former reservoir into the area's only nature reserve, which now attracts kingfishers and woodpeckers and is home to more than 100 species of wild flowers.

St Mary's cemetery, Clayton-le-Moors, has also undergone a facelift and a band of hard-working volunteers has turned the overgrown graveyard into an attractive area with rebuilt walls and re-laid landscapes.

A third East Lancashire project involved the creation of a stained glass feature at Clayton-le-Moors Comunity Centre, which depicts scenes from local history and was completed by young people and senior citizens from the area.

More information about community grants can be obtained from Tim Blythe on 01772 264186.

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