Customers who struggle to maintain their gardens may soon be getting help from Halton Housing Trust.

The Trust is launching an assisted gardening scheme that will provide free help for 50 customers identified as in the greatest need.

The scheme will be up and running at the end of April and customers who qualify will be notified that they are entitled to help within the next few weeks.

Those who qualify will receive 18 visits per season from April to October, where gardeners will help with routine tasks such as grass cutting, hedge cutting, weeding hard surfaces, brushing up, litter picking, cutting back shrubs from paths and grass areas and a final winter clean up.

The Trust also runs a free handyperson scheme and assisted furniture scheme to help customers improve their homes.

Teresa Tierney, Assistant Director of Housing Services at the Trust, said: “This scheme is aimed mainly at those customers who, through age or disability, are no longer able to carry out tasks in the garden and who do not have close friends or relatives living with them or nearby who could help.

“A tidy garden is a source of pride for many of our customers and improves the local environment. We hope this scheme will help them to continue to enjoy their garden.”

Those eligible for the scheme will be reassessed every year to determine if they still need help.