GARDENS FOR BETTER HEALTH
GARDENS for Better Health is aimed at the community garden that has the most positive impact on the mental or physical health of its local people.
TAKING the £1,000 cheque and a MiracleGro® hamper for 2021 is The Wonky Garden in Halton, Cheshire. The Wonky Garden was started in 2018 by three women who were receiving cancer treatment. They met at a wellness retreat and decided to use their talents to start a community garden in the grounds of Ditton Community Centre.
Taking over the half-acre of unloved space, over the past three years they have created a beautiful outdoor health and wellness area designed for all members of the community.
Angela Hayler, one of the founders, said: “This last year has been an enormous challenge but hugely uplifting and rewarding for Team Wonky. Every week, we see the magical benefits that Mother Nature brings to the physical and mental health of so many special people in our community, many of whom have struggled enormously during the pandemic. We entered Cultivation Street Better Health Competition to celebrate our work, and we are humbled to have won and hope our story inspires others to step outside, breathe the air and embrace the great outdoors. ●●Second place and £500 and a MiracleGro® hamper go to Lost the Plot in Deal, Kent. Third place and £250 and a Miracle-Gro® hamper to NAS Larne Carrickfergus Autism Hub, Northern Ireland, and the two highly commended places ago to OASIS Gardens in Worksop and The Recovery Garden Project in Aberdeen, who both receive a hamper.