Natural England

Tyneside residents win national recognition with their community garden

Residents who created a thriving community garden from a neglected corner of a Tyneside housing estate will be celebrating today (Thursday 2 August) after learning they have won a national Green Pennant Award.

The Green Pennant Award – run by the Civic Trust and the Department for Communities and Local Government - recognises high quality green spaces that are managed by voluntary and community groups, and today Clarewood Green in Newcastle;s West End is celebrating its award with a community picnic.

Under the Doorstep Greens initiative, run and partly funded by Natural England, Stanhope Street Residents Group in the West End of Newcastle created their very own community garden with the help of money from the Big Lottery Fund, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, local council and People for Places who own the land.

Alyson Hampshire, Chair of the Stanhope Street Residents Association said that this was a community project through and through:

“Right from the beginning local people were involved in consultations about the need for this area, the design of it and how it will be used.  And the community continue to be involved in managing the green and making good use of it. 

“We have had all sorts of events already from barbecues to children’s play sessions and we’ve even got an environmental magician coming to our picnic on Thursday.”

Doorstep Greens has helped 200 communities across the country improve their quality of life by creating or enhancing green spaces near to people’s homes.

Marney Harris of Natural England said: “The residents have transformed a piece of land you would never have thought of as a green space into a beautifully designed, extremely well used little garden. It’s the very first Doorstep Green project in the North East to get the Green Pennant award, and an excellent example of what can be achieved by people in their own communities.”

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas.www.naturalengland.org.uk

Issued on behalf of Natural England by GNN North East. Tel: 0191 202 3607; Fax: 0191 202 3599; Email: elfrieda.waren@gnn.gsi.gov.uk