Far Cotton unite: Helpers wanted THIS WEEK for grandmother Tracey in desperate need of garden revamp

Far Cotton is being asked to come together to help Tracey Thomas with a garden makeover that will change her life.

Before the grandmother fell ill she was green fingered and recalled a time where her Busy Lizzies were blooming in her borders.

Now, after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she struggles to maintain her former haven and it has become unloved and overgrown.

"I came out here last week and the trees had joined in the middle, they are overgrown as I can't do them myself," Tracey said. "At the moment I have a dog and my grandchildren can't come near one of the trees as it's poisonous.

"It would be amazing for my grandchildren to come out here and run off some steam. Last year I did the garden up with fairy dream catchers but I got ill last winter and I wasn't able to continue, I was in agony. I'm trying really hard.

"I used to come and sit out here in the evenings for some me time but I can't now. This makeover will give me some hope."

Tracey did not come to the Chronicle & Echo for help, instead she asked a volunteer for a chainsaw to maintain her tree.

After she plucked up the confidence to reach out, the Far Cotton & Delapre Support Group came to this newspaper to plea for help from the community.

Helen King, has been a volunteer who has helped to feed the community, including vulnerable adults and children, who have been isolated during lockdown.

She only met Tracey on Thursday and has already got the ball rolling to help her neighbour.

She said: "When we started the group we would help residents to buy their food and get their prescriptions and now we are helping with so much more.

"It would be brilliant advertising for businesses if they wanted to help Tracey. You get some people who basically want you to do everything for them but Tracey is the total opposite.

"If she could, she would do everything. If we could do this for her it would be fantastic for her in the evening to go out and enjoy the garden and solitude."

Tracey needs volunteers to do help clear the garden from Tuesday, August 4 to Friday, August 7.

A skip is kindly being delivered by Mick George skip hire to help with the first stages of garden clearance tomorrow (August 4) and Travis Perkins has volunteered their help, too.

If you can volunteer your spare time, or if your business can donate materials to make her garden beautiful again, please either email [email protected] with how you can help or call Far Cotton volunteer Helen King on 07789104358.