RHS Award for Crewe Community

 

Members of the community on the Sherborne Estate in Crewe have once again been recognised for their achievements in improving the quality of their urban environment. Local people of all ages and abilities have been actively involved in improving their neighbourhood by constructing raised planting beds, putting up hanging baskets and also growing their own fruit and vegetables. These efforts have been assisted by an initiative known as Grow in Crewe, a project supported by Crewe Town Council and delivered by Greenspaces South Cheshire CIC with funding support from the Big Lottery Awards for All Funding Programme. The project has seen participants engaging in weekly sessions at the Greenspaces ‘Grow Hub’ at the heart of the Sherborne Estate as well as sessions to improve some of the open spaces in with support from Sir William Stanier School Pupils. Local families have been learning new skills and gaining knowledge along the way with some now setting up and growing their own food in raised planters in their own back yards.

The improvements to the environment and the neighbourhood as a whole have been recognised for the second time by the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ awards and this year the community has been elevated to category of Level 4 – ‘Thriving’.

Crewe Mayor, Pam Minshull said: This is a great achievement for the local community. During regular visits to the area, I have seen for myself the improvements that have been made and sampled some of the healthy, home grown fruit and vegetables. The teamwork and efforts by the residents and project partners is improving the quality of life of individuals and the quality of the neighbourhood as a whole.

The community are now looking to take the project to the next level and have recently submitted a bid to the Health Lottery to seek funding to enable them to showcase their ideas and achievements at the RHS Tatton Show in 2016.

Pictured: Crewe Mayor, Pam Minshull and local grower John McGinlay with the award from the RHS.