A GROUP of teenagers joined volunteers to build a new community kitchen garden in Gunnersbury Park last week.

The 16-year-olds gave up their time as part of a programme run by the Challenge Network, an organisation which aims to teach young people skills, such as leadership and communication, while working for the community.

In a single day, the group of 12 marked out, dug and weeded garden beds, as part of an effort to transform the overgrown patch of grass on the east side of the park into a Regency-style community kitchen garden.

Council leader Julian Bell said: “Community spirit was alive at Gunnersbury Park and it was great that such a diverse group of people came together.”

Over the next few weeks, volunteers will complete the garden by building raised beds to house plant heritage varieties of vegetables, fruit and flowers.

It is a joint project between the Gunnersbury User Volunteers community group and Ealing and Hounslow councils, and is the first of many community projects to benefit from a grant of £321,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund.

To get involved with this or any other Gunnersbury Park community project, please email gunnersbury@ealing.gov.uk or call 020 8825 6742.