A KEY feature of a village has undergone a makeover thanks to a cash boost.

Hambleton District Council awarded Seamer Parish Council a £2,000 grant from its ‘Making A Difference’ fund to help enhance and improve the accessibility of the village pond.

In recent years, the community has worked hard to improve the attraction.

Volunteers have cleared the overgrown pond and now maintain it as a community resource.

Philip Taylor, Parish Council Chairman, said the grant enabled the group to make additions to enhance the pond.

He said: “The grant has enabled us replace the tumbledown fence with a new ‘bird beak’ type of fence which does not restrict the visual impact of the pond.

"We have included a new seating area so everyone can enjoy this peaceful and picturesque feature of the village."

“The development of the pond has been a regular item on the Parish Council agenda and is now home to a diverse range of wildlife. Water lilies have also been planted to help aerate the water, whilst duck platforms have been installed to provide a potential nesting site and netting has been placed around the new fence to deter ducks from going onto the road.”

Ward Councillor Bridget Fortune who supported the projects added: “It’s great to be able to help communities like this with projects that they otherwise would not be able to afford themselves.”