THE efforts of Sauchie Community Group in improving the town has been rewarded with an accolade.

The It's Your Neighbourhood award came from Keep Scotland Beautiful to celebrate the efforts of the Gardening Group under its umbrella.

A part of recent achievements included the setting up and opening of Sauchie Community Garden adjacent to the Resource Centre, which features sensory flower beds, pots and much more like a train planter named Flower of Sauchie by children at Lochies School.

Previously, the group was recognised for beautifying the Main Street with half-barrel flower planters and planting 1,500 daffodil bulbs in green areas.

The group has now gone from a Level 3 certificate in the It's Your Neighbourhood scheme to one at Level 5.

Located on Sauchie's Mar Place opposite the Mansfield Arms, the garden is a friendly place and is open to all from dawn to dusk.

Craig Miller, of Sauchie Community Group, told the Advertiser: "This is a fantastic achievement by Sauchie Community Group and particularly the gardening group.

"The hard work over the past 12 months has transformed Sauchie and this award highlights the efforts have been worth it to make our community beautiful.

"We hope that everyone will utilise the community garden and it's open for everyone all the time."

Presented in Stirling, where more than 160 groups from across the country were recognised, the accolade was for community initiatives that have shown a commitment to improving their local neighbourhood.

These included projects that improved access to allotments, implemented school wildlife clubs, adopted areas of derelict land and more.

Katie Murray, communities and place manager at Keep Scotland Beautiful, added: "Every It's Your Neighbourhood participant deserves this recognition for their hard work and determination to improve their own community.

"By volunteering their own time the 2019 groups have managed to support hundreds of environmental initiatives across Scotland.

"I would like to offer my congratulations to all of the groups involved. I hope that their enthusiasm inspires many more people to take part in helping to improve their local community in 2020."

Anyone looking to help out can join Sauchie Community Gardening Group who meet every second Friday at the Resource Centre at 1pm and every third Thursday at 7pm.

For more information find Sauchie Community Group on Facebook or call 01259 574 854.