MORE volunteers are urgently required to support the friends group helping to look after St Ives Country Estate, near Harden.

Pam Laking, chairman of the Friends of St Ives, explained the group had many projects and ideas in the pipeline to safeguard and enhance the popular council-owned estate, but needed extra people to get involved to make these ideas become reality.

She stressed the Friends now require as much public participation as possible to help them recover from a string of recent setbacks.

"St Ives has taken a real battering lately," she added. "We've had to have a large number of trees felled and rhododendron removed, most of the estates wood carvings are being taken away due to their age and we've lost our History Garden.

"We are joining forces with Bradford Council's team to try and build St Ives up into something really special.

"But for that to work we need people with the time and energy to assist us."

She explained the friends are looking for people with different skills, including volunteers prepared to come and help plant trees.

She also said she and her fellow friends want to establish a new "Practical Tasks Team" made up of helpers who can carry out important jobs such as fencing, stonewalling, grass cutting and litter picking.

People interested in playing a direct role in improving St Ives can contact Mrs Laking for more information on 079587 80391.