PEOPLE in north Durham are brightening up their community.

Residents of Catchgate are taking part in a pilot project and have been issued with free garden plants and boxes.

The ‘It’s Our Neighbourhood’ scheme started on Friday and is running over the weekend with people in the small cul-de-sac of Viscount Close being invited to collect a free planter, summer bedding plants and compost to get them started.

The project was the idea of local Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Doug Carmichael, who thought the scheme would encourage the community to talk to one another, with neighbours working together in their gardens.

The 69-year-old said: “The aim is to give people a little neighbourhood pride and break down a few barriers within the community and to get involve everyone is something people enjoy.”

It is hoped some of the younger residents will also gain from the experience of getting to grips with the basics of gardening and caring for their plants.

Children will be given ownership of a planter and there will be competition to see who can get the best results.

Mr Carmichael, who is also a board member of Stanley Area Action Partnership, got the project off the ground with the help of Durham County Council's Civic Pride Officer, Geoff Knight who has helped to access funding to pay for the boxes, bedding plants and compost.

The plan is to extend the project to other areas and a similar exercise is already scheduled for next week in nearby Harperley Gardens.

The plants and other materials will be available from 10am on both Saturday and Sunday.