Friends of the ODA Memorial Gardens will be hosting their Community Market at the Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe and Acresford Memorial Gardens next Saturday (May 11).

Local artisans, producers and community groups, as well as Leicestershire County Council waste and recycling team will be in attendance to showcase their wares or services at the event at Church Street, Donisthorpe, DE12 7PX.

The group are pleased that members of the Co-op Ashby and Moira Community team will also be joining them as they supported Friends so much last year throughout the Co-op Community Funding.

Image: Supplied

This will be the second year the group have run the event and are hoping it will become a staple date in their busy summer schedule.

Stalls including cakes, local honey, hand-made soaps, candles and gifts among others will be in attendance - they even have a stall that creates accessories for dogs!

The group will be holding their own 'Give to Grow' stall where, for a small donation, you can pick up garden plants, vegetable seedlings or packets of seeds to start your own horticultural oasis.

A member of Friends said: "We hope to encourage others to get out in the garden and start their own little plot, even if it's just a window box or container, as gardening has many benefits.

"Not only can it help with the natural environment and encourage a variety of insects and birds, but it can help improve an individual's wellbeing whilst giving them a daily boost of vitamin D."

The Friends will also be looking for ex-miners of Donisthorpe Colliery for the 'Donisthorpe Miners Roll Call'.

The volunteers are working on a project to record the names of as many members of the workforce of Donisthorpe Pit, whether they worked down the mine, in the offices or in the canteen, to include in the 'Roll Call' that will eventually be shared on the Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe and Acresford Parish website.

It is their aim to install a Miners Memorial within the gardens to celebrate this fundamental part of local history.

If you can help in anyway, please come along and register your details, or that of a relative, to be included.

Recently becoming a registered charity, Friends of the ODA Memorial Gardens are working hard to re-imagine the underused green space at the heart of the Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe and Acresford Parish.

All monies raised from the Community Market will be added to the funding pot to aid the group with the next stage of the project.

The Community Market runs from 10am-2pm.