A COMMUNITY gardener will help to keep Horsforth, Guiseley and Rawdon looking good after councillors agreed funding for the role.

The money, granted through the Outer North West Community Committee’s wellbeing fund, will pay for gardening maintenance across a number of sites including Guiseley Memorial Garden, Micklefield Park, and the Old Ball Peace Garden.

The community gardener will also support In Bloom projects, helping volunteers to continue their work, brightening up the areas with seasonal planting.

Horsforth ward councillor Jackie Shemilt said: “I am pleased that we have been able to use grant funding in this way to help maintain our local environment and green spaces which are so important to our health and wellbeing.”

Guiseley and Rawdon ward councillor Paul Wadsworth said it was marvellous to be able to agree funding to help keep local flower beds and green spaces alive.

He added:”It’s so essential to our community that we maintain and promote our green spaces.”

The project will pay for a gardener to work a five day, 41 hour week for six months of the year across various sites in the Outer North West area. The sites the gardener will work at include Horsforth war memorial, the memorial on Stanhope Drive, the Old Ball Peace Garden, King Edward Avenue, and the rear of Brownlee Stone Centre. Sites also include Guiseley Cemetery, Micklefield Park, Rawdon, Springfield Park, Guiseley, Towngate, Guiseley, St Oswalds, Guiseley and the Gyratory, Guiseley.

Additional resources for a gardener were agreed by the Outer North West Community Committee from its wellbeing funds.

The agreed sum of more than £13,000 will be allocated from the 2019/2010 budget.

In 2018 Horsforth in Bloom won a Gold Award for the second consecutive year in the Yorkshire in Bloom Urban Community category.

The Rawdon group entered the Yorkshire In Bloom competition for the first time in 2016, and won a silver award just two years later.

The Guiseley group was formed in 1999 and as well as enjoying success in the ‘in bloom’ competition has also grown free fruit and vegetables for local people to help themselves to.