Pupils from Lawley Primary School donated trees to Lawley Green Space Group in November last year. Pictured helping to plant them are Hayley Rees, Mitchell Duce and Oliver Taylor

Telford residents who have transformed a green space on their housing estate into a community wildlife project are in the running for a Pride of Shropshire award.

They are among the latest front-runners in the annual competition, which rewards and recognises those who go the extra mile to make a difference in their community.

It is jointly organised by The Shropshire Star, Shropshire Partnership and dairy giant Muller, and supported by a string of other businesses.

Lawley Green Space Group has been nominated by Joy Croft, of Wellington, who said: “It has been formed by local residents with the aim of creating a better sense of community through environmental and wildlife projects within their local green space.

“The space wasn’t used that much by the local residents so the group recognised an opportunity to enhance the area by getting the residents involved.”

She said they initially started by planting an orchard of 15 fruit trees on the two-acre plot, along with 100 hedging trees and 300 wildflowers, helped by local schoolchildren.

Many residents have added to the area by donating plants from their own gardens and the site has grown to include a wildflower area, alpine rockery, woodland walkways, community vegetable plots and a three-metre “living” Christmas tree.

The group now holds a series of social events and publishes a regular newsletter.

The Lawley group has been nominated in the community project category. There are also Pride of Shropshire categories for entrepreneurs, learners, courage, good neighbours, volunteers, healthy living, carers, and environmental projects, as well as an overall award for the Pride of Shropshire champion – won last year by the Meole’s Got Talent community group in Shrewsbury.

Among this year’s nominees in the volunteer category is Val Hanover, of Oswestry, who has been working with people with learning disabilities since the age of 18 and been closely involved with paralympics projects.

By Carl Jones

Do you know someone who goes the extra mile to make a difference in their community?

Time is running out to place a nomination in this year’s Pride of Shropshire awards. Closing date for entries is March 28.

You can download a nomination form, or submit your entry online, by logging on to www.prideofshropshireawards.com