A Stoke-on-Trent woodland now has new benches, waymarked walking routes and surfaced pathways, following work by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.

The project delivered at Hem Heath, near Barlaston, has seen the installation of ten new benches and 2,500m of surfaced pathways, creating a "more accessible woodland".

New information boards offer visitors information about wildlife they might see during their visit, and they can choose from three new colour-coded waymarked walking routes.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust says volunteers have been "instrumental in delivering the project" by harvesting native bluebell seeds and spreading them to expand the flower's coverage.

Reserves Officer Sheryl Hayes led the project and says: "Hem Heath Woods offers a green oasis in an urban area and is loved by many.

"Some locals have walked here for their whole lives and have a real affinity with it. We want it to provide the same joy for others over the next 20 plus years, which makes projects like this vital."

The project aimed to boost the woodland for nature as well as local visitors.

Volunteers have dedicated hours to planting 2,100 young hazel, oak, hawthorn, wild cherry, crab apple and silver birch trees, which will create future woodland and fill the gaps left due to the loss of trees to ash dieback.

The Trust explained that the woodland was originally a plantation, meaning the trees were all of a similar age and size. Healthy woodlands need trees of a variety of ages to be resilient and provide biodiversity for birds, insects, and mammals.

Sheryl added: "Sadly, we lost a lot of trees here due to ash dieback disease. The new trees will fill in some of the gaps left but we've also left some space for natural regeneration.

"In some areas more light reaching the woodland floor is helpful so that other plants get the chance to grow.

"This is good for our insect populations, which in turn is good for the birdlife here – we've already seen positive signs of increased bird activity and nesting."

The work was completed thanks to £126,988 of funding from the Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Andrew Brown, Executive Director at Veolia Environmental Trust, says: "Everyone at Veolia Environmental Trust is incredibly proud to have helped support the restoration of Hem Heath Woods.

"The addition of new accessible pathways as well as widespread bluebell and tree planting, means the woodland can continue to be both a thriving ecosystem and an escape for locals to enjoy for years to come.

"We look forward to seeing how these impactful investments in Hem Heath Woods help preserve the area's environmental security and encourage biodiversity for residents to enjoy."

The funding enabled the Trust to run a programme of events in the woodland for families during school holidays.

The project has also funded two new ponds and improvements to six other ponds in areas adjacent to the woodland and improvement to grazing facilities to make the grassland better for wildlife such as great crested newts.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded £18,856 of funding from Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Pride of Place to upgrade the car park.

The work - due to take place in autumn - will convert the car park surface from the current loose chippings to tarmac.