New sculpture by Peter Moorhouse unveiled in Westbury Pocket Park, Arboretum

As part of the renovation of Westbury Community Gardens, now renamed as Westbury Pocket Park, local residents recently unveiled a new sculpture on the site.

Artist and resident Peter Moorhouse created the piece, called The Trades Tree, which features images to reflect the industries which residents of the Arboretum used to work in.

The two and a half metre sculpture is made of wood from the Wyre Forest and stainless steel while the shape of the piece echoes the land use of the area before becoming a residential site.

While Mr Moorhouse created the design, Worcestershire businesses including County Enterprises, TCG and F8Creates helped turn them into a reality.

Westbury Pocket Park, on the junction between Westbury Street and Southfield Street, is a community project backed by funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government, Tesco Community Grants and Worcester City Council - who own the land.

New hard landscaping was completed in the autumn of 2016 and since then residents, with the helping hand from other community groups, have been transforming the area.

Work has included the planting of 105 shrubs donated by the Woodland Trust, the addition of an insect house, the creation of wildlife areas and planting of fruit trees and vegetables, all grown locally.

Future plans include adding notice boards about the local area, traditional games such as hopscotch and further vegetables planting once the weather allows.

The aim of the Arboretum Residents Association, which manages the site, is to create a beautiful open space which will bring residents together and allow them to celebrate their community for generations to come.

Upcoming events at Westbury Pocket Park include the children's event Making Mosaics for the Garden on Saturday, February 25 at 10am and the Grand Opening of the Community Gardens on Saturday, March 25 at 11am.