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We’re delighted to share the news that the Newcastle West End Food Bank garden has been chosen as this year’s winner of the B&Q Community Garden of the Year. Now in its fourth year, our B&Q Community Garden of the Year competition celebrates an outdoor space which has been created by the community with the aim of improving the life and wellbeing of those in the surrounding area. Nominated by volunteer gardener Jane Wanless and other volunteers, the Newcastle Foodbank garden wins a £2,500 B&Q gift card to support their work further. Jane Wanless and the team of volunteers have been recognised for turning a piece of derelict ground into a garden that provides fresh produce for Newcastle Foodbank’s clients and is a welcoming space for clients wishing to get involved in gardening. Run solely by volunteers, the garden has grown from small beginnings of just six raised beds. It now includes a greenhouse, orchard, and soft fruit area, as well as additional beds and trugs. The volunteers use organic gardening methods as well as succession planting to help maximise crop production. Peelings from the foodbank kitchen are recycled in compost bins and water butts collect rainwater for the crops. Taking feedback from kitchen volunteers and clients means that as well as growing more “traditional” vegetables such as onions and potatoes, the team of volunteers have added new crops, such as pak choi, to the garden. This year’s competition judges were B&Q Head of Outdoor, Mairi Devlin and award-winning garden designers, Matthew Childs and Humaira Ikram. Here’s what Mairi Devlin had to say about the win: “Congratulations to Jane and the volunteers at The Newcastle Foodbank garden! There are so many reasons why we judges chose your garden as this year’s B&Q Community Garden of the Year. We were really impressed by how well the garden is managed by the team of dedicated volunteers, and how six years ago they created it on derelict ground. The garden has such a strong purpose to produce fresh food for the foodbank clients; a model that the judges felt would be great to see replicated elsewhere. It’s also a lovely space for the foodbank clients to enjoy and to connect with nature. We’re delighted to be able to support Jane and the other volunteers with developing the garden further!” We’ve also announced that Bournemouth gardening enthusiasts, Odette and Rob Warmley, are the winners of this year's B&Q Gardener of the Year competition. They won their category - Best garden for entertainment – and were then selected by the judges from all the category winners as the 2024 B&Q Gardener of the Year. The three runners up who each won their categories are Paula Phillips Davies from Carmarthenshire for the Most Sustainable Garden, AnnMarie Swift from Walsall for the Best Garden for Planting, and Amanda Gomersall from Chandlers Ford for the Best Use of a Small Space. Well done to everyone who entered and to this year’s winners! #GOTY #CGOTY #BandQ

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What a fabulous initiative! Well done to all involved and the Newcastle West End Food Bank for creating such a beautiful space ✨

Anna Peters

B&Q Foundation trustee. I'm into charity, volunteering, community initiatives, reuse before refuse ,time banks& corporate charity partnerships

1mo

Sounds like a great community project.

Jo Curtis

Community Manager at B&Q

1mo

Such a great initiative!

Sam Murphy

Business Development Manager @ B&Q | Marketplace, Retail, DIY, Home improvement

1mo

A beautiful project! 💚

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Innes Smith

Salesperson at Dixons Carphone

1mo

Well deserved!

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