Dozens of green fingered young people teamed up with retirement home residents to create a heritage trail along a stretch of river in High Wycombe this week.

Around 80 people braved the rain and headed to Barrowcroft in Wycombe Marsh to lend a hand at Conservation Village Week – run by Chiltern Rangers and Wycombe Youth Action - at the River Wye.

Along with help from Red Kite staff, the team worked to create a “conservation village” on Monday and Tuesday - which included clearing the river, cutting down trees and creating artwork to be displayed along the heritage trail.

The project – which has received a £10,000 donation from Red Kite - forms part of the Young Roots initiative which has seen around 500 young people get their hands dirty this year to help conserve habitats at different locations along the river.

Project leader, Paul New, said: “We have been felling lots of trees to let light in, clear the river and have been planting wild flower beds.

“We talked to one school where only four students out of 80 knew the name of the river that went through the town.

“So we decided to get the young people involved and it builds confidence as well – they have been saying it’s been the best day of their lives.

“We are building a team of young people who will come back in the long term and take ownership of the river so if anyone does throw anything in it they can say “stop that’s mine”.

Residents living in the flats which back onto the river have hailed the project.

Pam East said: “We have to say we are overwhelmed with how hard they have been working. They have been absolutely fantastic. It was wonderful to have them around.

“What they have done we would never have been able to afford it. We try to do the gardens but we cannot praise them enough.”