WHITEHILL Town Council and Bordon’s Future Skills Centre joined forces this week to construct new planters in Bordon, with the long-term hope of entering the nationwide Britain In Bloom competition.

The plan for installing the planters, with the help of the Future Skills Centre, had been the idea of the council’s recently deceased grounds officer Chris Norkett.

In a statement, the town council thanked both Future Skills Centre students and staff for such a pleasurable co-operation experience. Whitehill Town Council provided the materials, while students constructed the six new planters during lessons.

Students had been on hand earlier to help to move the planters into position at the Eco-station crossroads and Whitehill Village Hall. The council’s grounds contractor will get to work soon, putting in plants, and volunteers are sought to help to look after the plants.

It had been Mr Norkett’s idea to give students the chance to learn while providing community assets.

Mr Norkett died unexpectedly in May. “Chris had enjoyed working on the project and it’s a shame he didn’t get the chance to see the new planters,” town clerk Andrea Mann said.

The long-term hope for the town council is to form a Whitehill and Bordon In Bloom team.