RHS awards for Cranbrook community group
Three projects to make Cranbrook a greener town were given awards of achievement by the RHS ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ campaign.
The projects ‒ a roadside verge, an area outside St Martin’s Primary School and another at the Younghayes Centre ‒ were judged ‘outstanding’, ‘improving’ and ‘thriving’ by the RHS assessor.
Cranbrook Town Councillor, Karen Jennings who was instrumental in getting the initiative off the ground, said: “In a new town like this which will take time to mature, it is important to make time for improving the green areas.
“Everyone worked hard, so we were delighted to receive these accolades, especially for the wildflower verge which became quite a talking point.”
The previously unsightly verge was turned into a vibrant wall of colour when planted with wildflower seeds. An area outside St Martin’s Primary School, which had been planted up by contractors but not maintained, was revitalised with new plants to replace those that had become straggly. Outside the Younghayes Centre, where sage, rosemary and rambling roses planted by contractors had not thrived, the volunteers cleared the area and replanted with more suitable minimal-maintenance shrubs.
Volunteers from ‘Community Helpers in Cranbrook’ (CHIC) undertook the work and encouraged other groups, including the Brownies and Cubs, to get involved.
Funding from DC Housing, the landowners Consortium, grants from Devon County Council and Broadclyst Parish Council, Green Thumb and a community award grant from Persimmon Homes helped the projects get off the ground. Otter Nurseries donated fruit trees for the verge to attract bees and other insects, provided discounted shrubs and gave the team vouchers for use towards other plants. The garden centre also suggested an eco-scarecrow competition to inspire children to think about recycling issues, and provided prizes for the best scarecrows as well as materials for the schools forest classroom.
Otter Nurseries Marketing Manager, Sabine Taylor said: “This is an inspiring example of members of a community getting together to make a difference to the area they live in.
“These projects have already had a big impact on the town, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.”
Cranbrook Countryside Ranger Emma Jones, who advised on varieties of wildflowers for the verge, will be holding an event at the site on Monday October 26, harvesting seeds from this year’s blooms and explaining how to store them for use next year.
More volunteers are needed to keep up the good work. Contact CHIC on chicincranbrook@gmail.com
