.Members of St. Michael and All Angels Church in Cosheston made the request for support from the Valero Volunteer Council, to assist in clearing away brambles and undergrowth from around many of the gravestones in the churchyard. As well as making the churchyard tidier and safer to walk in, the aim of the project was to enable members of the public to carry out family history research.

Mary James, from Cosheston Church, explained the reasons behind the project and thanked the volunteers for their vital efforts.

"Some parts of the churchyard had become overgrown, especially around some of the older graves," she said. "Churchyards and gravestones are a vital source of information for piecing together local history, and Cosheston is no different. Thanks to the amazing energy and resources that Valero's volunteers were able to apply, we've been left with a much cleaner and safer churchyard, which is now more easily accessible for anyone wanting to trace their family tree. It is the intention to map the churchyard as a joint project between the Church and Cosheston Community History Group."

Richard Jelley, Valero Volunteer Council chairman, led the large team of volunteers to help out at Cosheston on Saturday, January 31.

Following a day's hard work, he said: "It was a real pleasure to witness the wonderful community spirit in Cosheston, with many people from the village turning out to lend a hand. Together with our own Valero volunteers we really got stuck in to the task at hand, and it was amazing to see the difference made by the end of the day. Hopefully now any future 'Who Do You Think You Are?' enthusiasts will have a much easier time getting to the names and dates here at Cosheston!"

To apply to for community support from the Valero Volunteer Council, please email [email protected]">[email protected].