A £10,500 appeal has been launched to fund the next phase of restoration of Halesowen’s historic Leasowes Walled Garden.

Sponsors are needed to enable an electricity supply to be connected to the two-and-a-half acre plot.

Volunteers have so far spent around 8,500 hours restoring the 18th century garden to its former glory as part of the Grade I Listed Leasowes Park.

The facelift has included the creation of flower beds, a rockery, pond and herb garden. Roses have been planted, the front gates refurbished and an orchard is to be added next month.

Buildings have been renovated to create a rest room, tool store and saw room, a toilet has now been connected to a sceptic tank and mains water has been added.

Mick Freer, secretary of Hales Owen Trust, which bought the “lost” garden last year, said: “Electricity will make the site much more usable. It will mean we can work there longer hours in the winter months and will enable groups to have meetings there.”

He said organisations such as arts and nature conservation groups wanted to use the facilities.

“It is all very exciting and an incredible amount of work has been completed. The garden is looking so different from the one we inherited and I am overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and ability of the people who come down to help,” said Mr Freer.

More than 100 volunteers have worked on the renovations so far and around 500 people - including schoolchildren and visitors from Italy and China - have seen the restoration work.

Mr Freer said: “Without the generosity of our volunteers, who give their labour and expertise freely, the improvements to date would have cost considerably more than they have.”

He estimated paid-for labour would have cost a minimum of £42,500 and the bill would have been even higher if they had had to pay for skilled work.

A number of materials, tools and plants have also been donated to offset the costs, which have so far amounted to about £75,000, including the purchase of the site.

The aim is to make the walled garden a focal point for visitors to Halesowen’s countryside.

A National Lottery bid is currently being drawn for up to £1 million to fund the building of a visitor centre and a period Victorian greenhouse.

The walled garden was created in the 1770s to feed the family and servants of the Edward Horne, who lived at Leasowes after poet and landscape William Shenstone and was more recently used by horticultural students at Stourbridge College.

Companies or individuals interested in sponsoring the electricity supply should contact Mr Freer on 07855 473045 or email mick.freer@leasoweswalledgarden.co.uk