New gardens need your help

THE newly refurbished Westgate Gardens officially re-opened on Saturday after being restored to their former glory.

The gardens, in the St. Dunstan’s area of the city, had been neglected for the last 20 years. Now they have been redesigned to allow for over two hundred different types of plants to grow and the locals’ best-loved features to remain.

The work has cost over £5million and English Heritage has funded £3million of it as part of the Lottery grant won by The Friends of Westgate Gardens. FOWG have campaigned for the refurbishment for years and had to raise the extra £2million.

There is still an outstanding shortfall, though, and there are now concerns that an entry fee may be charged unless the extra money is raised.

Mr Arroll Winning, the President of FOWG, said: “We have had hundreds of messages of support and lots of congratulations.

“Many people have worked very hard to help us raise the money we need but this last £257,000 is proving difficult and we may be forced to charge entry. That would be a tragedy.”

FOWG are appealing for people to send donations to the Canterbury Westgate Gardens Trust, care of the Curator’s House, Clarkehouse Road, Canterbury, CT1 3ND. For more details call 01227 237440.