A TEAM of friends and members of Darlington Rotary have helped rescue the gardens at a Darlington residential home for older people.

The extensive gardens at Abbeyfield on Ashcroft Road had become overgrown and unmanageable through lockdown and because of social distancing and safeguarding restrictions.

But a team of Rotary members and friends – known as the ‘Hit Squad’ – spent a Sunday earlier in September in a voluntary socially distanced effort to tame the much-loved grounds.

Alison Broxup, acting general manager of Abbeyfield Darlington, said: “The residents of Abbeyfield love their gardens and many exercise by walking round them. But the grounds were getting badly overgrown and we could not keep up with them because of lockdown. We asked if Darlington Rotary could help and they responded immediately. We are very grateful for the work they have done on the garden, which will enable us to keep up with them from now on.”

Rotarian Alan Cowie, who leads the Hit Squad, said: “We do what we can to help and Rotarians and friends were there weeding, cutting, trimming and mowing and generally tidying up to bring the gardens back to standard. Everything was thoroughly risk assessed and we were all socially distanced and brought our own tools and refreshments.”

The team also put up bird boxes donated to Abbeyfield by Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Interact group, a group of young people connected to Darlington Rotary.