"Since Cardigan Castle featured on the BBC's Restoration programme in 2003, the Friends of Cardigan Castle have been even busier.

Our band of gardeners work on areas of the grounds clearing, tidying and planting, and when we open in the summer we also act as stewards, welcoming visitors and providing information about the Castle site.

Everything we do on the site has to be sympathetic to the wildlife, including the greater horseshoe bats living in the basement of the house. These bats are a protected species so areas of vegetation must be retained to provide food and shelter for them. We also have to consider the likelihood of any archaeological remains and any original planting or features that may be hidden in the undergrowth.

Some of the gardening work is done merely to provide visitors with an enjoyable space to see and relax in but the pace increases when an event is due to be held. Our philosophy in the garden is to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Compost areas have been established and stones and bricks found on the site have been re-used to define areas of the gardens. When trees are pruned the discarded branches are chipped and reused in the grounds.

Our stewards have been steadily accumulating knowledge of the Castle site's history. Some have attended courses and carried out research to discover the types of plants and buildings that would have featured in this type of garden when it was established in the early 19th century.

Last year three young people chose us to help them work towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards - two Bronze and one Gold. They stewarded and worked in the gardens throughout the summer and still kept coming back after they had exceeded their required number of hours work on a community project.

Said one, 'I found it very worthwhile as it was possible to see how necessary a strong volunteer force is for enabling projects to succeed in the community.' Added another, 'This award is extremely beneficial, personally and for completing the UCAS forms for university. I have gained a lot of experience from working in the castle, especially in working with others, which is essential when it comes to proper management of the grounds.'

We attend events that are held in the town during the year. This serves two purposes. It allows us to raise a small amount of money to finance what we do and it enables us to promote the Castle and the restoration project within the town.

There will be other tasks to carry out as things progress. One of these will be to set up a system to log and file things we find on the site while we work. Some of these may not seem important at the time but who knows what significance they may have in providing a key to nearly 900 years of history.

Cardigan has benefited greatly from regeneration projects over the past few years and the Friends of Cardigan Castle believe that the conservation and regeneration of the castle will complement all the work that has already been done in the town.

We will always welcome new members and old friends who may wish to return. So whether you have any specific areas of expertise or you just want to find out about the project we would love to hear from you. Visit our website www.friendsofcardigancastle.co.uk or Contact: Friends of Cardigan Castle, 2 Green Street, Cardigan SA43 1JA."