DETERMINED village volunteers are using flower power to brighten up Kilmacolm.

Armed with shovels and sporting high-vis vests, the Colourful Kilmacolm team have transformed the piazza in the centre of the village into a beautiful floral centrepiece with planters packed full of eye catching daffodils.

The hard-working team have also spruced up Birkmyre Park by filling it with stunning tulips and daffodils.

Peter McKerrell, chairman of the voluntary group, says it was formed not only to make the area more aesthetically pleasing, but to bring the community together.

Peter said: “We want to enhance the area for the inhabitants of the village and to make it look attractive so that it brings in people from round and about.

“We hope it helps the businesses, as we’re quite a thriving business centre and the more we can do to bring people in, the better.

“It will also bring people in the community together — a lot of the group are retired and it gives them an interest and new friends.” The group, which has 80 members, was set up in March last year after Kilmacolm Community Council members pitched the idea to Peter.

He added: “It turned out that Inverclyde Council were no longer going to maintain some of the planters in the area, including at Birkmyre Park, so they said we could take them over.” Since then the group has set up a committee and received funding from various organisations – including £1,000 from the council, £9,000 from the Big Lottery’s Awards for All scheme and £250 from Inverclyde CVS.

This money has helped them buy planters as well as plants and bulbs.

As they have received such positive feedback about their floral displays, the group will now turn their attention to other sites in the area.

To join the group there is an annual £5 subscription to help towards the cost of plants and other items.

Anyone who is interested can phone Peter on 01505 872448, email secretary@colourfulkilmacolm.org.uk or go to their website at www.colourfulkilmacolm.org.uk