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TV presenter Iolo Williams has praised the conservation efforts of volunteers at community hub Libanus Lifestyle – and has urged others to follow its lead.

Based at the former Libanus Chapel in Blackwood, Libanus Lifestyle is a not-for-profit community interest company run by volunteers. Formed in November 2015, the organisation has since turned the old chapel, built in 1829, into a thriving hub of community activity.

Gardening, Men in Sheds, choirs, beekeeping, and a host of community groups are now all based there.

While the inside of the chapel has been transformed, it was the outside that Iolo Williams came to see – and he was impressed.

The Winterwatch, Springwatch and Autumnwatch presenter was invited to Libanus Lifestyle to find out how the community had been doing their bit to help conservation efforts.

The Men in Sheds project have made Swift bird boxes, while the community gardening efforts have seen a diverse range of wildflowers develop – alongside a boost in accompanying insect life.

Iolo said: “This is genuinely fantastic.

“You come here and when you see the colour, the variety, the insects, the wild flower, a couple of species of butterfly.

“If everybody did something like this, imagine the difference that could make.

“I am fed up with the tidy brigade, cutting the grass to millimetres. We want to see more and more of this. It is a brilliant example of what you can achieve in what is an urban area.”

Karen James, Director of Libanus Lifestyle, said: “A massive thank you to Iolo Williams. He was so enthusiastic about our project and what we have achieved so far and gave us some helpful tips and advice on where we may have gone wrong but assured us he didn’t think we had.

“We know there’s room for improvement and really appreciate how engaging he was with everyone who attended.”