GREEN-FINGERED volunteers are needed to help revive a disused allotment site as part of a healthy living project in former coalfield areas of County Durham.

Would-be gardeners are needed to help restore the derelict plot to create a working community allotment, in a scheme being run by the Groundwork Trust in east Durham.

Project officer Libby Mahoney said it was part of a wider scheme to revive the fortunes of rundown allotment sites in general, many of which are ailing in parallel with the fortunes of the communities in which they lie, since the colliery closures.

The site has been acquired by the trust at Ernestfield Allotments, in Enfield Road, in the Eastlea area of Seaham.

Ms Mahoney hopes novice gardeners, keen to try their hand at growing their own fruit and vegetables, may be tempted to come forward, while former growers may see it as a chance to return to the garden.

She said the Ernestfield site was being developed through the trust's health, exercise and allotments (Heal) programme.

"A lot of people in the 65-plus age group can no longer manage a full plot, but they could probably easily cope with a corner patch within a larger allotment.

"This way, they would share in the work and have the chance to share in the fruits of their labour by sharing the resulting produce.

"Unfortunately, a lot of former allotment sites are in decline, through a lack of users, and it's an effort to at least get some of them up and running again."

Work is due to start on the allotment soon and the search is under way for volunteers as community allotment workers.

A similar scheme has helped to transform an equally-rundown allotment site in another east Durham village, Thornley, near Peterlee.

Anyone who can help should contact Ms Mahoney, at Groundwork, East Durham on 0191-527 3333.