WORK to breathe new life into an area of waste ground began on Teesside yesterday.

Glebe Park, in the Gresham ward of Middlesbrough, is among 126 sites in the United Kingdom to be selected for a share of Barclays Bank's £1m kick-start fund.

The bank will work with the communities and the leading regeneration charity Groundwork to restore each as a local facility.

Leading councillors and local people met bank and environment workers at the launch of the Teesside initiative, being funded by £15,000 from Barclays.

Gresham ward councillor and Middlesbrough Borough Council leader, Ken Walker, said: "I am delighted that Barclays is kick-starting the restoration of Glebe Park.

"The project demonstrates the effectiveness of Groundwork's approach to community-led regeneration."

Teesside University is working with residents to develop a community survey.

Tracy Colling, community projects officer for Groundwork Middlesbrough, said: "It's important that we know what people think about Glebe Park, and what ideas they have, before improvements are made."

For more information on the project, contact Ms Colling on (01642) 232 298.