TEAMWORK made the dream work on Friday as volunteers came together to restore the access point to the River Kennet in the Jubilee Field in Manton.

Action for the River Kennet (ARK) were back with nearly a dozen helpers to shovel and barrow four tonnes of new gravel to improve the access ready for families to play in the river in the warmer months

After a busy 2016 of conservation work, the team started this year with a satisfyingly productive and collaborative effort in the cold temperatures.

"Today's team worked very efficiently, it is really good to see the beach area back to its former glory for the community to enjoy," said ARK project officer Anna Forbes.

"10 years or so ago ARK did a project at this very spot to try and improve access to the river and the same was true today. The team had a great camaraderie about it and did the job in no time.

"We were really pleased with how it all went, especially as I got a few calls this morning from people who were worried the snow would cancel it but by the time we got there there was none to be seen.

"It is good that locals are invested in their local area to make it as pleasant as possible."

Next up for the conservationist group will be at the Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, something Ms Forbes is looking forward to already.

"This was a great way to kick off 2017 by returning to the river and hopefully more helpers will be out on Sunday to help at Stonebridge," she said.

For more information about volunteering for ARK visit http://www.riverkennet.org/get-involved/practical-volunteering