DAY centre visitors in Chorley can enjoy their own garden -- thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers.

Team nine of the Chorley-based Prince's Trust Volunteers created a garden at Chorley's Open Mind Centre, Stump Lane, as a community project for their personal development course.

The centre -- open all year round -- helps people in the Chorley and South Ribble area who have suffered, or currently suffer mental health problems.

In two weeks the 10-strong team created a rockery and herb garden from an overgrown rubbish storage area.

Angela Glackin, of Chorley team nine, said: "I live round the corner from the Open Mind Centre and suggested using it for the community project. "The team like the idea and seemed really interested. We made an initial contact and the centre was extremely keen for us to do something." Fellow team member Maggie McIntyre said: "We started off with stone and a rough base for the garden foundations and then contacted two local nurseries that generously donated plants, herbs, heather and rosebushes.

"The use of lavender and herbs has given the garden a sensory feel and it will be easily maintained by green fingered day centre users."

John Burns, a day centre user, said: "I feel that it has been beneficial for the centre. These young people have put their heart and souls into this garden project.

"They have worked hard for the community in all weather soldiering on through and we owe them a great deal of thanks."

Janet Carr, manager of the Chorley Open Mind Centre, said: "We are very pleased with it because we've got a big garden at the back and parts of it are overgrown.

"The team have adapted some of the garden into an area for sitting and we are looking forward to sitting out their in the summer months. We are very impressed with the work they have done."

She said the volunteers and centre users had also benefited from meeting each other in many ways, including removing the stigma of mental health problems.

Cathy Todd and Darren Andrews, who led Chorley team nine, said: "This is one of the hardest working teams we have ever been involved with.

"The team can take great satisfaction from this community project and the staff and centre users have been extremely helpful."

For more information about The Prince's Trust Volunteers Personal Development Course call Darren or Cathy on 01942 821444.