PEOPLE from different walks of life, including the homeless and former addicts, have been brought together to restore and maintain a Bournemouth churchyard.

Fresh start, whose mantra is restoring homes and lives, were asked to renovate St Peter’s churchyard and are turning it into a clean space for residents to enjoy.

Mark Richmond, of Fresh Start, said: “It is a ground space of about three acres. Over the last 20 years it has got a reputation for drug use and antisocial behaviour.

“Over those years it has fallen into quite bad disrepair.

“We were asked by the church and the council, and Dorset Wildlife to give it a tidy up.

“We don’t mind doing that, and we want to get people back into work and back into society.

“We have enlisted the help of the homeless in Bournemouth, and got a team of people together to work together for the greater good.”

Mark said in the last 21 days they have tidied the park and the next phase involves planting flowers and create a maintenance programme.

“We are getting local people to keep running the site,” he continued.

“We don’t separate people. We have had the homeless, addicts, socially reclusive people and it’s quite fascinating.

“For example, someone who is quite shy and reclusive will come out their shell.

“People with homes have learnt from the homeless and the homeless have learnt from people with homes, they have created a new friendship group.”

Although the people helping clear the churchyard don’t get paid, Mark said it gives them work experience of indoor and outdoor work.

Mark and the team at Fresh Start will also then help them with their CVs, give them interview practice and help them look for work, part-time or full-time.

“At the moment, we can be a bit distracted with Covid, this give humans a chance to hang out together and form friendships.”

Parish warden for St Peter’s Church Jane MacDonald-Styslinger said: “We partnered with Fresh Start because it is exactly that.

“The church has had very little TLC and it is such a big project. It is a cultural place but not somewhere people would like to go.

“And we thought we would do something to help those people who are making that journey back.”

Jane said the curch has partnered with Bournemouth Rotary Club, BCP Council, AFC Bournemouth and the Dorset Wildlife Trust to fund the project and create things like a cherry tree and a trail.