THE chairman of one of Brent's longest-serving conservation groups has urged residents to help her volunteers keep a Kingsbury park green and lush.

The Barnhill Conservation Group, which was founded in 1984, has transformed the Roe Green Walled Garden into a horticultural haven.

Founder member and chairman Kathy Northcroft is proud of the retreat she has created with more than 30 members.

She now wants more people to help her maintain one of the most picturesque parts ofs the borough, which has been the group's headquarters since 1989.

Kathy has asked the public to attend an open day in Roe Green Park in Kingsbury High Road on Saturday, between 11am and 4pm.

There will be an array of flower beds, shrubbery, a wildlife pond and a children's corner.

There will also be a Victorian theme as the gardens of Kingsbury Manor, which was the Duchess of Sutherland's country house, dates back to 1899.

Kathy said: "I was one of the first to be involved with the Barnhill Conservation Group.

"There was a new ranger in Fryent Country Park and he thought that we could do a lot to improve it, we still do extensive work in the 250-acre park every Sunday morning.

"Our members have planted so many hedges and tidied the area up, we even pick litter and collect seeds for our tree nursery.

"The nursery produces more than 200 trees a year, which we plant back in the park once they are about two or three years old and have been well nurtured in the walled garden.

"We do a range of scientific surveys too and have records for these which go back 20 years.

"The surveys are carried out in the organic hay fields and we do butterfly surveys as well.

"Our work is completely wildlife friendly, any wood that we cut out in the park is left in log piles for insects to live in."

Kathy hopes more people will get involved in the group's projects once they see what has been achieved at the open day.

Volunteers meet every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, between 10am and 2pm.

Kathy said: "We are always welcoming newcomers to the group and we have members of all ages and backgrounds.

"We often have children as young as five planting trees in the wall garden and some of our members are over 80."

Shaun Faulkner, head of parks at Brent Council, said: "The walled garden is beautiful and the work the Barnhill Conservation Group does is fantastic.

"The contribution that the group make is invaluable and the impact that they have not only on Roe Green Park, but Fryent Country Park is incalculable.

"Roe Green Walled Garden is a real gem and even more important are the volunteers who are the real secret to this wonderful success."

For more information, call 020 8206 0492.