Pat's can do attitude wins award

TUESDAY MAY 23.

A HARLOW woman who plans to landscape a housing estate has won £2,000 for the project from the Anglia Television News Can Do Challenge.

Berecroft Residents Association treasurer Pat Alderton, 53, received her certificate from Anglia News presenter Helen McDermott at the broadcaster's Norwich studios.

She said the money would go towards planting 24 trees and landscaping four plots to further beautify the area.

The project will complete a major refurbishment of the former council estate now overseen by Anglia Housing.

Mrs Alderton said: 'We went from a dingy, grey, flat-roofed area to nice pitched roofs and colours. The whole thing has been lifted, it's totally different now.'

Having dedicated seven years to the residents' association, she was modest about the recognition.

'It is nice, especially when there is a cheque involved to further the cause.'

The Can Do Challenge is part of a national initiative launched by the Scarman Trust with a £1.16m grant from the Millennium Commission.

The Harlow project was one of five funded in Essex, with 46 community entrepreneurs across the Anglia region handed £92,000 in grants for a range of inspirational local projects.