A VOLUNTEER group is building a new garden for a pre-school.

Billericay Acts of Random Kindness have started work on the new play area for the children at Noah’s Ark Pre-School in Mill Hill Drive.

They were supported by some of the county’s firefighters.

Organiser Matt Everard was contacted by the pre-school after people had tried for years to grow grass on the patch.

He said: “When I got there, we got talking about it and they said they had tried to reseed their garden and it had not taken to it to grow.

“They said they wanted artificial grass and I got them to draw what they wanted for the whole garden.”

The project has seen volunteers from throughout the area, including a group of retained firefighters from Eaglestone Landscaping who dug new foundations, to lay down the turf.

The new area will include a donated £1,500 climbing frame and specially made bug hotel, as well as a learning space for the teachers to use during the summer.

Mr Everard said the project will create a much needed new space for the children, which has not been used often enough in recent times.

He said: “It has been hard for the staff there as it is just dirt in that area.

“In the summer the ground is just too hard and in the winter and wetter times it just turns to mud.”

Although the work is meant for the children at the pre-school, Matt added the project has been as important for the community in Billericay.

He added: “The volunteers have made a lot of new friendships and met new people they may never have met without this project at Noah’s Ark Pre-School.”

Theresa Bay, manager at the pre-school, gave her thanks to the group of 15 volunteers.

She said: “It is such a wonderful thing that the volunteers from Billericay Acts of Random Kindness and the community are doing. We have been trying to get the garden improved for years but there has not been the funding available to get it done.”