A run-down area of a popular Lowestoft park is being given a special spruce-up – thanks to lottery funding and a new partnership.

The Suffolk Wildlife Trust has teamed up with the Waveney Play Partnership to encourage groups of children and youngsters to carry out improvements as part of a makeover to the Monkey Puzzle area of Normanston Park.

Yesterday youngsters from the YMCA joined forces with Waveney district councillors and Waveney Norse staff to plant native species of shrubs and trees.

The improvements will see the land being cleared to feature bark trail paths, natural bordering, log seating, bird boxes and log pile habitats for wildlife.

The Monkey Puzzle improvement project has been led by Gemma Smith, education officer at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, who has overseen the efforts of various groups of local youngsters already in improving the area.

Yesterday the YMCA youngsters were taught how to plant shrubs and trees including blackthorn, hawthorn, field maple, hazel, dogwood and elder by the Waveney Norse grounds manager Jim Brock.

Chris Ames, play development officer at the council, negotiated the use of �1,600 left over from the Big Lottery Fund's Children's Play programme for the project and Suffolk Wildlife Trust was able to bring in young groups to carry out the work as part of their education programme.