MEMBERS of a residents group are celebrating after receiving more than £12,000 to give a community garden a much-needed revamp.

The Arboretum Residents Association (ARA) was awarded £12,800 by the Department for Communities and Local Government to revitalise Westbury Street Community Gardens, which is currently paved over with grey slabs.

And Worcester City Council is proposing to contribute up to £22,000 in its 2016/17 budget to further enhance the gardens.

Part of the Government's Pocket Parks initiative, the ARA is one of around 100 projects to receive funding.

Jane Moorhouse, vice chair of the group, said: "I am very excited that Arboretum Residents Group has been awarded this funding, allowing us to move forward and breathe new life in to Westbury Community Gardens.

"Our aim is to create a beautiful open space which will bring residents together and allow us to celebrate our community for generations to come."

The money will be spent on planting traditional fruit trees, herbs and vegetables, such as Worcester Pears and Pershore Plums, with the produce available for the community to use for free.

Existing paving slabs will be replaced with mosaic tiling, designed by children, while hard surfaces will be laid out for traditional games such as hopscotch.

Meanwhile new benches of varying heights will be installed, with a view to encouraging elderly people from the area to visit, enjoy the fresh air and socialise.

Councillor Andy Roberts, cabinet member for a clean, green and safe city, said: "Smaller scale green areas such as Westbury Park Gardens can make a huge difference to the enjoyment and well being of their local community.

"For this reason I'm delighted that in addition to the investment we're making in the city's large parks, we're also able to support this innovative proposal to enhance a much-loved green space in the heart of the city."

The gardens opened in 2007 and are built on a formerly derelict site previously used for housing.

Once they are renovated, the gardens will be a community hub for events including fetes, apple pressing and music festivals.