DOZENS of volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help lay the foundations for a heritage trail linking a North-East park with a nearby beauty spot.

The trail, which will link South Park and Snipe Pond, is one of a series of schemes being pushed forward under the River Tees Rediscovered partnership, which recently received a £1.8m contribution from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Volunteers from Cummins, in Darlington, worked alongside Friends of the Skerne, Friends of Snipe Pond and Friends of South Park to start work on the trail on Friday (October 24).

Activities included planting native trees along the River Skerne to help prevent erosion, planting bulbs, painting metal work and removing debris.

The Skill Mill, a social enterprise providing employment for young people in watercourse and horticultural services donated its services free of charge to support the event along with students from Darlington College, who volunteered to document the day.

Anne-Louise Orange, delivery manager for River Tees Rediscovered, which comes under the banner of Groundwork North East and Cumbria, said: “We hope that this will be the first of many days bringing together volunteers from all sectors to conserve and protect our heritage along the River Tees between Piercebridge and Teesmouth.”

The partnership is working to create a much needed heritage trail linking the well-loved South Park, the first Victorian Park in the North East, with the little-known Snipe Pond, a beautiful pond that was once a Victorian reservoir.

Lucy Chapman, delivery officer for River Tees Rediscovered, added: “We’d really like to hear from local businesses and community groups interested in taking part or supporting future volunteer days.

"The businesses and people of Teesside are a fantastic asset and will always play a vital role in preserving our heritage.”