Woodland flowers are being given a fresh chance to thrive at Horleyland Wood in Gatwick

Ten volunteers from UK Power Networks office in Hazelwick Avenue, Crawley, spent the day in Radford Road removing bracken from the woodland floor with Gatwick Greenspace Partnership, part of Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Bracken grows fast and smothers other native flowers and plants.

Ginette Leeder, who organised the challenge and works in the company’s asset management team, said: “We’re a local employer, we respect the environment and it’s good to look after these natural areas and give something back to our local community.”

Thomas Simpson, learning and engagement officer for Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: “The bracken dominates the woodland floor and blocks out light for wild flowers.

“It’s naturally occurring, but changes the soil chemistry, making it more acidic and perpetuating its own growth.

“It gets to the point where nothing else can grow. We remove bracken to let more light hit the woodland floor and germinate the seedbank of wild flowers in the soil.”