Newcastle gardening project is shortlisted for major prize

Newcastle gardening project is shortlisted for major prize

18 October 2017

A NEWCASTLE community project is one of 30 finalists in line to receive a national award in recognition of its work in making the area a better place to live.  

Ark Community Gardens — based at Corrigs Road in the resort — has been shortlisted in the ‘best community project on a social housing estate’ category in the Groundwork Community Awards. Next month, it will learn if it has won during the national awards ceremony hosted by the charity in central London.

Groundwork, which works across the UK to support communities to change places and change lives, launched its awards earlier this year to honour small community groups making a big difference to everyone’s quality of life and to celebrate and reward groups who often get little recognition and support.  

Ark Gardens works with people from a range of ages, backgrounds and abilities with an interest in gardening and crafts and has supported them to grow food for the table, eat seasonally, share resources and goals and come together to work towards achieving well-being through horticulture and nature. 

The project’s achievements are a result of hard work by its volunteers and a belief in achieving health through eating organically, home grown produce and by encouraging the community to work together to create well-being. Ark uses volunteer skills and experience to support the community and has a goal of creating a sustainable community that is financially viable.  

Four local housing estates in Newcastle now work closely with Ark to enhance their environment and a local hotel regularly buys produce grown at the site, which thanks to its community outreach has helped decrease local anti-social behaviour. 

Groundwork’s national chief executive, Graham Duxbury, has congratulated Ark Community Gardens and all of the other finalists.

“Having judged some of the entries makes you realise how many extraordinary everyday heroes we have in our communities,” he continued. “Thanks to their efforts, our parks and open spaces are better looked after, libraries and heritage centres are being kept open, food banks and furniture projects continue to help people meet their basic needs and communities are blazing a trail in recycling and renewable energy. 

“These achievements are seldom noticed beyond the neighbourhood or the people directly benefiting. We thought it was time to change that and to celebrate the power of community action, with the Groundwork Community Awards shining a light on what’s already being achieved and celebrate the power of community action.”