A NURSERY in Rishton is hoping to win enough votes to pay for a community garden in memory of a school worker.

School business manager at Norden High School, Helen Hinds, died at East Lancashire Hospice earlier this year following a short battle with cancer.

She was just 46, and left behind her husband Steven just months after first falling ill.

Now staff at Rishton Pre-School, which is attached to the school in Stourton Street, have applied for a community award through Engage Mutual Insurance for equipment and plants to convert a grass area into a garden, which would be called 'Helen's Community Garden'.

Deputy supervisor Donna Greenwood said: "We thought it would be good for the community. It's just plain grass at the moment. We could have something sensory for our children to make it a bit more friendly and, as a nursery, we get over-looked and people don't know we are here, so we thought it might be eye-catching.

"There's a youth club that uses the building too, so it would suit everybody."

Because the nursery is a charity, it cannot afford to build the garden without the funding, worth £1,000, Donna added.

Alison Thomas, who works in finance at Norden High School, worked closely with Helen. She was also part of a team that completed the Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary Club Walk, raising £540 in Helen's memory earlier this year.

She said: "She did an awful lot for the school and the community. She was really approachable and the door was always open. Even if she was inundated she would stop to help somebody else out, and always put people first."

The pre-school sent a letter home outlining its plans and urging parents to vote.

To vote, visit www.tinyurl.com/oefp8dn.