Gardening award joy for allotments club

A green-fingered allotments club is celebrating a win at this year’s Beautiful Durham awards.

Belmont Allotments Club has been named overall winner of the annual competition organised by Durham County Council.

The competition gives individuals and organisations in the Durham City area the chance to create impressive floral displays.

Despite many events being cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the council was to keen to go ahead with this year’s contest with many people spending lockdown in their gardens.

Residents, schools, businesses and other organisations all entered the competition.

Winning both the best overall entry and best group horticultural project, Belmont Allotments Club were praised for their enthusiasm and community spirit following their efforts to develop communal areas such as the sensory garden.

Other awards include the Sherburn Hospital Care Home for best sheltered accommodation complex and Finchale View Riding School in Leamside for the best business premises. Meanwhile, Wantage Road in Carrville has also been named Durham’s best kept residential area. Cllr Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “Despite the challenges of lockdown, many people were able to spend more time outdoors and it’s great to see that people have been inspired to become more green-fingered in that time.”

A full list of winners can be found at www.durham.gov.uk/beautifuldurham