Alton in Bloom Community Grow Club has won the Hampshire Grassroots Action Award and is now one of four projects nominated for the CPRE Hampshire Choice Award
Now they need your vote to win that accolade. Voting closes at 5pm on Friday, 6th December with the winner being unveiled at a ceremony on December 10th.
The Community Grow Club is a new initiative from Alton Town Council which launched last year and is about more than just gardening; it’s about growing together as a community. Over the past year they have held a series of multigenerational community sessions and carried out projects that have enriched the town, environment and wildlife while teaching families to grow their own food and flowers.
Projects have included planting new community orchards with the help from residents and local school children. The first was planted at the Hawthorns allotment and the second added to the fruit trees at Barely Fields. The trees for these orchards were supplied from the Hampshire Forest Partnership who said: “The Hampshire Forest Partnership were delighted to support Alton Community Grow Club to create two new community orchards in Alton. We are helping make Hampshire a greener place to live and deliver ‘a legacy in leaves’ for future generations.“
Find out more and how you can get involved: Hampshire County Council | Hampshire County Council
Grow Club workshops were held in the Public Gardens in the spring where families were taught how to grow plants from seeds. Sowing a variety of pollinator friendly flowers that were then planted out into the town centre planters and flower beds. Along with vegetables and fruit that were planted into the Community Kitchen Garden beds in the Public Gardens. The children have really enjoyed watching them all grow and then being able to eat them when they visit the park!
Alton Town Mayor, Annette Eyre said: “We are delighted that the achievements of our volunteers and Town Council officers have been recognised with the Hampshire Grassroots Action Award for our ‘Alton in Bloom Community Grow Club‘.
“We hope that their hard work and dedication to make our town a better place for the community, environment and wildlife is also recognised by the people and ask you all to vote for the Community Grow Club project to win the overall CPRE Hampshire Choice Award!”
The Community Grow Club was part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with a grant from EHDC’s ‘Grow Up’ programme. It supports projects growing, planting, education and helps residents reconnect with residents while promoting mental and physical wellbeing.
You can learn more about the Alton in Bloom – Community Grow Club project online, the our video, and vote for the project to win the CPRE Hampshire Choice Award by visiting: Hampshire Choice Award – CPRE Hampshire
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