A rock snake has been made into a permanent feature to celebrate Ackworth's community spirit

The snake, made up of hundreds of decorated stones by families from the village, began when resident, Karen Bennett, wanted to showcase how the people of Ackworth came together during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Karen’s community project has been backed by Wakefield council who helped to get the snake cemented in place, making it a lasting feature.

Karen said: “I’ve been running a group called Ackworth rocks for over two years, where children had to hide the rocks for each other to find.

“But when Covid came, I got concerned about passing the virus around.

“I’d seen people mention a snake on the internet so I decided to make one, I asked two children I used to mind to find it a home.

“I was not expecting all this to happen, I'm so proud of our village and how it came together during lockdown.”

Children of the village have individually decorated their own stones with colourful designs and placed them to resemble a coiled snake.

The snake now has a permanent home on Dando Way.

Karen said: “Our snake tells a very powerful story of dark days and uncertain futures and how our fantastic village came together to create a memory that is bright and beautiful.

“The children have made a fantastic art work and it is wonderful to see how good it looks after all their hard work and effort.”

Coun Maureen Cummings, who has been heavily involved in the project, congratulated Karen and the families of the village in their efforts to bring the community together.

Coun Cummings, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Poverty, said: “Congratulations to all the children and adults who have taken part in the project and have used their artistic skills to create this stunning artwork.

“It looks amazing and will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for many years to come.”