A COMMUNITY allotment has been created for residents of two villages in County Durham.

Dozens of people in Coundon and Leeholme who need to rebuild their confidence after lockdown, will benefit from Coundon Community Allotment after the project received £20,000 from believe housing.

Operated by Groundwork North-East from Leeholme allotments, the project provides a free, green space to develop outdoor skills.

It will also help local people find support with the social, health and economic effects of lockdown with a range of community learning courses.

Cooking workshops will use ingredients that can be grown at the allotment or at home as well as providing new skills and advice on how to prepare healthy food on a budget.

Growing sessions will also demonstrate how food can be grown even when outdoor space is limited to lower the cost of healthy food.

Joanne Ashworth from Groundwork North-East said: “Our community allotment is a fantastic facility that offers local people a chance to get outdoors and enjoy learning new skills or share their knowledge on growing with others. We would welcome anyone who would like to come along and get involved.”