THREE days of hard work by teams of volunteers from York workplaces have transformed a community centre garden in the city.

The York Cares Big Community Challenge finished its project at Foxwood Community Centre yesterday, and the Lord Mayor paid a visit to officially open the new-look garden.

Shirley Gumley, the chairman of Foxwood Residents' Association, said: "It's been a wonderful transformation. I just can't believe that we have seen these changes in three days."

About 200 volunteers came together in 40 different teams to lay new paths, construct a new brick built barbecue and pergola, and create raised beds and garden areas.

York Cares volunteering project officer Helen Jackson said yesterday: "The teams on Wednesday have been great, worked really hard, and stayed after their sessions to get the jobs finished.

"We've got woodchip on all the paths, the barbecue built and pergola up. The picnic benches are in place, and the raised beds are full, ready for the gardening club to take over. It's looking like the garden it was intended to be."

Shirley thanked the volunteers for their hard graft over the three-day project. She added: "Without them, I don't know how we would have got this done. We could have done bits and bats with the gardening club, but we could not have tackled anything on this scale.

"I think it's going to be a lovely area for the community, and it will help the community centre because we are going to hire out the barbecue area for an extra income."