FAIRFAX Road in Sydenham is looking brighter now thanks to the efforts of volunteers who took part in this weekend's mini-street fair.

The new event, organised as part of the Local People in Sydenham project, took place between 11am and 2pm on Sunday in Fairfax Road between Parkway and Bridgwater College.

People came to plant new flowers, help paint the fences, take part in yarnbombing and spray chalking the street to help make the road look more vibrant.

Music was provided by the Bridgwater-based Sedgemoor FM radio station with the Together Team – East Bridgwater funding face painting for the kids.

Co-op Parkway is provided free fruit, and Bridgwater College Academy helped raise funds for the Year 7 group trip with tombola, basketball and guess how many sweets in the jar games.

The project has already had an impact on the local area with a community noticeboard unveiled outside the community centre, colourful bollards and planting on the grass verge along Parkway by the shops – these ideas have been implemented to create better spaces for people to use as part of their day to day lives.

The project focuses on improving the quality of life for people in the area and giving them greater control over the design and activities that take place to create better community spaces.

It takes a neighbourhood approach, engaging local people and empowering them to address wider issues in the community, benefitting health and wellbeing in the process.

Residents in Sydenham are being supported by Sustrans using funding from People’s Health Trust and Sedgemoor District Council.

The People’s Health Trust has invested £114,000 in the project using money raised by HealthFull through The Health Lottery, while Sedgemoor District Council provided additional funding of £84,000.

Alan Muir, project co-ordinator for Sustrans in Sydenham, said: “The event is a great chance to realise some of the design ideas put forward as well as provide a glimpse into what makes streets great places with people coming together to improve it with colour, plants and artwork whilst showing off their own skills and enthusiasm.”

John Hume, chief executive of People’s Health Trust, said: “People’s Health Trust believes that people coming together to take local action can have significant benefits to the health and wellbeing within a neighbourhood. This project in Sydenham supports the increasing empowerment of local people to address wider issues in their communities and neighbourhoods through collective action.”