Residents of Gateshead have been asked to help make their community a greener place to live, as part of plans to turn a nature park into a community-run reserve.

People have been invited to Windy Nook Nature Park today to help with a litter pick, organised by Gateshead Borough Council.

Residents should meet at Windy Nook Methodist Chapel from 10am onwards.

Later in the day, a barbecue has been organised for helpers, who can also find out about the area's wildlife from Peter Shield, the authority's first urban community wildlife officer.

The litter pick is one of the first stages of a plan to turn the park into an area run and managed, on a day-to-day basis, by members of the community.

Gateshead council's Next to Nature project aims to turn the five-hectare park into a local nature reserve, to allow people to find quiet relaxation and recreation, as well as providing educational opportunities for schoolchildren and community groups across the borough.