A PROJECT to restore the walled garden at a former Gwent hospital site has received a £12,000 boost from a supermarket's good causes fund.

The Victorian walled garden at Llanfrechfa Grange, near Cwmbran, is set to be a focal point in the grounds of the planned Specialist and Critical Care Centre for Gwent, though volunteers face a major task in reversing almost two decades of neglect.

But they are now planning the first major feature of an ambitious restoration project, after attracting enough support in a public vote to earn five-figure backing from Tesco's Bags of Help fund.

Set up to channel the proceeds of the single use shopping bag levy into support for good causes, the Bags of Help scheme involves intermittent public votes for three shortlisted projects in scores of areas across the UK.

The projects get £4,000, £8,000 or £12,000 based on the number of votes received, and the walled garden proved popular among shoppers in Tesco's Abertillery, Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale and Pontypool in the latest round, scooping the top award.

The Llanfrechfa Grange Walled garden Community, the group formed to take the project forward is planning to use the money to provide a horticultural therapy greenhouse for use by community and patient groups.

The funding provided a fitting end to the first year of work at the site, following an open day in April last year to attract support and volunteers.

Weed-choked and abandoned, the garden in spring last year presented a daunting challenge. A year on, while the challenge remains, some sort of order has been wrested from the chaos.

The basic idea remains to base the garden on a design of four squares within the larger walled square.

"It's a huge task, but the vote proved there's a lot of support for this project, and that's very encouraging," said project manager Angela Fry.

"We're trying to identify aspects of the garden where people can contribute. We're looking at each quadrant being designed differently, and there's a possibility of one being changed regularly, with input from patients and the community."

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is supporting the project, but volunteers remain key to its success, along with equipment - donations of tools will be gratefully accepted.

Anyone wishing to learn more, and to get involved with the restoration, can do so by visiting llanfrechfawalledgarden.wordpress.com