Saintbridge Pond began life as an engineering feature in 1971. It was created as a defence against flooding, which has been a persistent problem in the area since the construction of new housing in Abbeydale and Abbeymead. For many years, it was an undervalued feature of Gloucester. Vandalism, fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour had turned the pond and the surrounding space into a major eyesore. Positive action Things began to change in the spring of 1993 with the formation of the Friends of Saintbridge Pond - a group of local residents who decided to do something positive to transform the space. In the beginning, the challenge was to pick up rubbish and clean the silt traps. That in itself was a big job because the area was the size of a football pitch! Fortunately Gloucester City Council stepped in to provide some assistance in the form of a skip to remove larger volumes of refuse. The Council has also helped the project by donating trees, hedging and bulbs as well as assigning a liaison officer. However, it is the twenty strong team of volunteers that form the Friends of Saintbridge Pond who do all of the work for the benefit of local people and wildlife. Saintbridge Pond transformed Thanks to the perseverance of the group, the space has now been completely transformed from an unusable space to a lush nature reserve that attracts both visitors and wildlife to the area. It's a popular place for the wildlife - there are many ducks, coots, moorhens and swans who have made their home on the pond, and many more birds who use it as a staging post on their journey. It hasn't been an easy task to transform the space but it's fine example of what can be achieved through positive action. In the end, the Friends of Saintbridge Pond managed to create their own little bit of paradise in Gloucester.
Transform a derelict space near you! Gloucester has recently been selected as one of three areas in the United Kingdom to take part in the 'It's Your Space' campaign. It aims to encourage the people of Gloucester to get involved in the improvement of open spaces in their local community and put them in touch with organisations that can help them transform those ugly spaces into welcoming, well-used community spaces like Saintbridge Pond. Individuals and organisations interested in finding out how they can become more involved in their local area should log on to the It's Your Space website, where they will find local information on everything from becoming a friend of a park to adopting a piece of waste ground and starting your own project. Local newspaper The Citizen is also supporting the campaign and is appealing for people to identify derelict or wasted spaces the Gloucester, Stroud and Forest of Dean areas. If you know of one, click here to nominate it! The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. If you would like to comment on this story get in touch at [email protected]or have your say on our messageboard | 
An eyesore dumping ground in Gloucester has been miraculously transformed into a beautiful nature reserve thanks to the efforts of a local community group.
