A SUBURBAN park in the middle of Gorse Hill has been glammed up by volunteers.

Scouts, Brownies and other volunteers transformed the Edin-burgh Street Community Garden as part the Green Force Garden Makeover, backed by the Greenbridge retail and leisure park.

Dozens of people took part in the event, including Scouts and Brownies from local troops who worked so hard that the expected re-opening time of 4.30pm needed to be brought forward by three hours.

The gardens were among three nominated for the makeover. The others were the Town Gardens in Old Town and the Radnor Street Cemetery.

But Edinburgh Street took the most votes, and the garden was transformed with an impressive number of new plants, flowers and shrubs, as well as a new bench before being officially re-opened by Coun John Ballman (Lab, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst). Greenbridge, the company which runs the leisure park, bought all the makeover plants and tools from Manor Garden Centre at Cheney Manor.

The company has now donated all tools bought for the work to Swindon's Twigs a community project that helps people to recover from mental illness through therapeutic horticulture and related arts. Greenbridge centre manager Simon Pullen said: "Edinburgh Street Community Garden is an important site to the people of Gorse Hill, which is why we were delighted to spend the money and time on making these fantastic improvements.

"The Green Force Garden Makeover supports the council's objective to create a better Swindon by 2010 by devising running and managing a regeneration project, so this is something we've been very pleased to be involved with."

Coun Ballman said that the entire garden had been transformed and was now a good place to spend quiet moments.

He said: "In recent years the garden had become neglected but after the hard work put in by all the volunteers it is now place where people can spend a few quiet minutes.

"I am keen to see it stay this way and that is why I am interested in forming a Friends of Edinburgh Street Gardens group who can help to keep it that way.

"By forming a group we would also be able to use funds made available for such projects from the council and other organisations."

Anyone who would like to get involved with the proposed friends' group can call Coun Ballman on 01793 694584.