RESIDENTS of Welland are being invited to get involved with maintaining a piece of land the parish council has just bought.

Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council have recently acquired Purser’s Orchard, three acres of land next to St James’s church at the centre of the village.

The purchase was funded by Malvern Hills District Council with contributions from housing developers.

Mary Purser, a parish councillor and church warden, said “I’m delighted, and my late husband John would have been over the moon at preserving this for the village. It’s been in his family since 1903.”

A band of eager volunteers is already sharpening scythes and secateurs ready to turn the orchard into a rich experience for everyone in the village, old and young.

Parish council chair Viv Nelson said “This is a great opportunity for residents to enjoy a piece of Welland’s heritage at the heart of the village for years to come and to have great fun bringing it alive”

At a parish meeting on Wednesday, May 8, residents and volunteers will get to shape the future use of the orchard, choosing between a number of possibilities such as landscape and recreation, production and learning, biodiversity and heritage.