A BRIERLEY Hill community centre, garden and allotment has successfully applied to become a registered charity, just in time for today's first ever Local Charities Day.

Hawbush Community Gardens, an oasis tucked into the Hawbush estate, has seen local residents come together over the past few years to tend the site.

Volunteers have created community allotment space, alongside a handful of private allotments, which are open for local people on a first come, first served basis. While the facility also has a centre offering indoor space for different types of community activities.

Earlier this year, the group contacted Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) for guidance on how to become a charity, and received support in developing the paperwork and procedures registered charities need to have in place.

In less than a year, the gardens gained a board of trustees before having its application for charity status accepted by the Charity Commission.

Michelle Betteridge, trustee, said: “We are absolutely delighted to achieve charity status and thank Dudley CVS who have been a huge support with our application. I am quite sure that we wouldn’t have had the confidence to do this without their support.

“We’re now really looking forward to next year and working with local residents to make Hawbush Gardens a valuable resource for the community.”

The news has come just in time for today’s (Friday, December 16) first ever Local Charities Day – a government initiative that aims to celebrate the great work charities do every day of the year, which is often overlooked in favour of well-known national charities.

Hawbush Community Gardens is now planning to run a variety of outdoor and indoor projects on the site in the New Year, from biodiversity activities, health and fitness and fun, educational activities for the community.