MORE than 30 volunteers, including pupils from Hermitage Academy, joined together recently to build a wooden platform for a new dipping pond in Hermitage Park.

Refurbishment work is continuing at the park with school pupils helping out volunteer group Friends of Hermitage Park to restore its place in the community.

This work was done following a generous grant from the Volunteering Matters Action Earth campaign, which is designed to help volunteers take practical action to improve and create places for wildlife and learn about nature.

Alison Holliman, secretary of the Friends of Hermitage Park, said: “We were all very pleased that so many people turned up.

“Hopefully this will encourage them to come back and undertake more and also use the dipping pond in the future.”