A STACKSTEADS community group today appealed for help to help recreate a blooming success.

For the past two years, the Friends of Riverside Park have arranged the planting, hanging and watering of floral baskets around the town.

Now the group wants to re-create the look, which it said was popular with residents and visitors, but needs donations .

The success of the scheme has meant that the cost of providing and maintaining the hanging baskets has become almost too much for the group.

In order to ensure that people are not left without the flowers the group has decided to act early.

It wants people to donate towards the cost of providing the baskets and help with their up-keep.

Friends of Riverside Park treasurer Frances Whitehead said: "People have shown an interest in having them available this year and have approached us at the local Stacksteads Drop-In Centre. They can be quite costly, we are asking the community to help us out by making a donation. We envisage the baskets will cost around £14 each but any donation, however small, will help us greatly."

As well as finding the money to pay for the baskets, the Friends of Riverside Park also need volunteers to give the flower arrangements their vital daily water supply.

"We have the equipment, but appreciate that it is a big commitment for one person to make. If we could get two or three volunteers it would mean we could make sure the baskets will be put up again this year.

"The lovely colourful blooms make such a difference to the village," volunteer Deanna Talbot said.

Anyone who would like the Friends of Riverside Park to realise their ambition or would like to volunteer to water the hanging baskets can call in at the Stacksteads Drop-In Centre in Newchurch Road.