(Image: Kevin Allen)
A new wildlife-friendly garden has been officially opened in the North East, creating a greener community space while helping to boost biodiversity and improve the experience of residents, volunteers and visitors.
The habitat garden, at Beyond Housing’s Westfield Farm in Dormanstown, Redcar, was unveiled during a summer fair attended by 50 local people and opened by the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Ceri Cawley.
The event also featured games, activities and stalls from partner organisations.
Westfield Farm is Beyond Housing’s community resource and training centre, providing support, training and volunteering opportunities for people in the surrounding area.
Maria Taylor, Apprentice and Volunteer Team Leader at Beyond Housing, said: "The project has really given a lift to Westfield Farm, giving us a focus and supporting our vision to provide a welcoming and safe place for our customers and community along with benefitting the environment and ecosystems we have created."
Designed to enhance the setting for customers and volunteers, the new garden also delivers environmental benefits through increased biodiversity.
The formerly disused area has been transformed into a meadow-style habitat to encourage wildlife and support a greater variety of plants and insects.
Planning began in late 2025, with work starting on-site in June 2026.
PB Civils removed old paths and stonework around the pond, levelled the ground and installed new paving and a circular path through the garden.
Volunteers and the Westfield Farm team completed the planting and created a habitat hut to help visitors learn more about the wildlife in the area.
Read more
Quaint Victorian tearoom tucked away in a whimsical garden on North Yorkshire coast
Schools across the Tees Valley to get free access to nature reserve
£7.2m revamp transforms Middlesbrough sheltered housing scheme
Josie Haley, a Business Administration Apprentice who led the delivery of the project, said: "This project was brought to the Neighbourhoods Team with the goal of giving the community centre a new lease of life ahead of the 2026 summer.
"We wanted to enable a safe, clean, and welcoming place for the community.
"Being able to provide this for the team at Westfield Farm was highly rewarding for me as an apprentice and has provided me with amazing experience and a newfound love for project work."