WHILE many of us — me included — are inclined to be a tad negative about modern life occasionally, there has been a truly inspiring demonstration of local enthusiasm in one area of Bolton.

Members of the Hunger Hill Action Group have shifted more than 220 tonnes of rubbish from a field behind Knutshaw Crescent and created a community space that includes footpaths, plants and trees, a pond, bat and bird boxes and special artwork.

The Group made use of an £80,000 Big Lottery grant from Granada TV’s People’s Millions competition and a £10,000 donation from Bolton at Home, the arms length company that runs the town’s council housing stock.

This “Our Back Field” initiative was rewarded with the Environmental Project of the Year award at Bolton at Home’s second annual awards ceremony designed to honour residents who make a difference to their communities.

Congratulations to the Hunger Hill gang — there must have been a tremendous amount of hard work and planning involved — and to all the other organisations and individuals who received recognition in different categories.

Bolton at Home also deserves credit for encouraging community involvement in this way.