Squire’s Garden Centres has presented an award to Badshot Lea Community Garden as part of its Love Where You Live 2024 programme.

The programme seeks to assist community gardening projects that educate, grow produce, or provide health and wellbeing benefits through horticulture. More than 80 applications were received in a six-week period. Nine groups have now been presented with their award, comprising Squire’s vouchers.

John Martin, from Badshot Lea Community Garden, said: “The Badshot Lea Community Garden has only been open for two years and we are still learning how best to involve as many of our local residents as possible.

“Winning the award from Squire’s was not only a great surprise but will give us the freedom to try new ways of involving more local people by providing materials and equipment to run more school holiday activities and setting up a regular toddler’s group. The vouchers will also be used to buy tools for the children using our young family raised bed programme.

“This unexpected and very welcome income will make running the garden that much easier this year and will increase our involvement with local families, helping young children discover the wonders of gardening and being involved with nature.”

Squire’s Garden Centres chairman Sarah Squire said: “We have been overwhelmed by the number of applications we received for our new Love Where You Live programme. Our centres are embedded in the communities we serve and this programme enables us to give back to the local area.”