COMMUNITY spirit is alive and well in Grassington after a number of groups came together to create a wildflower meadow.

In partnership with Grassington in Bloom, children from Grassington Primary School and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), an area of species rich wildflowers have been planted on Springfield Road.

The meadow is part of a network of wildlife friendly patches across the Dales that aim to reverse the decline in pollinators.

Catherine Mercer, YDMT’s bee together officer said: “What has really blown me away about this project is the support and enthusiasm from the community. Although Grassington in Bloom have led the project, all sorts of different people have helped out.

“From passers-by who hopped over the wall to help strip turf, to the primary school children who spread wildflower seed. People have lent their time, their tractors and trailers and even space on their farms to make the meadow happen - the village has really come together behind it.”

Bee Together is a programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund which aims to work with local communities to create habitats that could help reverse the decline of wild pollinators.

It seeks to create a corridor of these important habitats between Leeds and Lancaster, contributing to a national network of ‘B-Lines’ mapped by Buglife.

Buglife is working with a number of partners to restore and create wildflower-rich habitat stepping stones – ideal for pollinators like bees and butterflies and a host of other wildlife.

This B-line crosses the Yorkshire Dales, the Aire Valley and Lancashire, and is supported by John Chambers Wildflower Seed, which has donated native wildflower seed.

“Bringing communities together to take action for pollinators is what the Bee Together project is all about,” added Ms Mercer. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the meadow in Grassington flourish – and the fun people will have managing it.”