Green Champions
THIS incredible group of volunteers have devoted their own time to keeping Elswick tidy and building community spirit. Founded in 2010, the project continues to grow vegetables as well as grow in size.
It’s an exciting community project that is based in the heart of the Elswick Ward and has been working with a crowd of passionate residents who want to make a real difference to the places they work, play and live.
The volunteers organise regular cleanups of Elswick Park – picking up litter, tidying play areas, planting flowers and clearing paths. They are also responsible for the public garden outside the park’s pavilion. And they are a big believer that bringing people together helps to break the ice and build bonds between neighbours.
This incredible group is linked with the West End Community Bakery which plans to open up in a dedicated space in the future. This summer the initiative planned a series of clean-ups and events for people to get involved in. The biggest of these was the End of Summer Celebration.
Edible Elswick is based at the West End Women and Girls Centre on Elswick Road, but receives support from the NHS Change 4 Life campaign, Your Homes Newcastle and Newcastle City Council. Edible Elswick is a deserving winner of our esteemed Green Champion award.
EDIBLE ELSWICK
THIS schoolboy is an all-round carer and even his dad says he’s so selfless.
Daniel is our youngest Green Champion as he loves to keep his environment spick and span. And on his ninth birthday, instead of having a party with other kids his own age, Daniel decided to roll up his sleeves and do a beach clean instead.
He’s so persuasive he talked his mum, dad, nana, grandma, sister, two aunties and uncle to join him and between them they gathered bags of rubbish from our shores.
Last year for Sport Relief he walked 100 miles when he braved freezing temperatures during the Beast from the East.
He also sold some of his toys and held a cake sale and raised £540. This year for Children in Need he walked 500 miles to raise even more money.
He’s also donated his tooth fairy money to Wateraid and for Christmas he sponsors an animal – his most recent addition is a polar bear. Daniel cares about his environment and for others who live in it.
He’s a worthy winner of our Green Champion award.
ROWELL