Helmsley Walled Garden given £130,000 lottery cash boost

Helmsley Walled Garden, on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, is supported by more than 100 volunteers

A North Yorkshire garden has been awarded £130,000 to train volunteers in plant propagation.

Helmsley Walled Garden will use the National Community Lottery Fund money to set up a three-year programme called "Learning to Grow".

It would also create job opportunities and traineeships, the charity said.

The garden's executive director said the funding would make a "huge impact" on those who help to maintain the five-acre public attraction.

The money for the garden, which has more than 100 volunteers, will be distributed annually over the course of three years.

The National Lottery Community Fund money will be distributed to the charity over three years

June Tainsh, executive director, said: "One of the areas I am most excited about is being able to support volunteers looking for future employment and keen to learn more about plant propagation.

"Now we will be able to offer a 12-month part-time traineeship each year, enabling a transition into paid employment."

She added: "This will make a huge impact on those volunteers who are able to work but have found barriers to entering the workplace for a range of reasons."

Built in 1759, the garden sits beneath the ruins of Helmsley Castle and has been open to visitors for more than 25 years.