Volunteers from a Shellharbour combined churches worked to improve public places with people power on Saturday as part of the model for the CityServe project.

Local church leaders are driving the project to undertake works sooner than Shellharbour City Council were able to do the job.

Mayor of Shellharbour Marianne Saliba applauded the group and said there was a long list council was trying to complete.

"By partnering with our community we can reach our targets sooner and make the area better for everyone."

Little Park was selected because of its central location in the village, local pastor Shane Cook said.

"We are proud of our city, and believe this is a practical way we can invest in the future of Shellharbour," he said.