A community group that has helped to tackle loneliness by bringing people together with a shared love of gardening has been recognised for its huge contribution to society.
The GROW Scarborough initiative won best community project in the annual North Yorkshire Community Awards for its work to foster more social connections and improve mental health in one of the county’s most deprived areas.
Its members operate a seed hub based in the town’s library and hold community gardening sessions at The Street Community Garden.
Their work has also included donating fruit trees to local sites, creating a sensory garden for students with special educational needs and disabilities, and collaborating with other groups to expand community support.
A total of 65 nominations for 43 different groups and individuals were made across three categories in this year’s Community Awards.
North Yorkshire Council’s chair, Cllr Roberta Swiers, said:
“We are pleased to honour the organisations and individuals who make a difference in their communities, and congratulate the worthy winners.
“The annual awards offer an important opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes who give up their time to support others. Many of these people have been doing so for decades and have created a lasting legacy where they live.”
The ceremony was held at the Wider Partnership Conference at the Pavilions of Harrogate on Friday.
The winners received £1,000 for the project, group or nominated relevant local charity in the case of the volunteer awards. Two runners-up in each category received £250.
The founder and chairman of GROW Scarborough, Darren Mancrief, said:
“At The Street, we supply fresh and healthy produce to share in the community. We want to maximise the amount of food that we bring out of the site to prove that you don’t need to grow food miles away.
“Our intention is to bring the community closer together through the growing and sharing of food and skills. For me, it helps with my mental and physical health, gets me out of the house and with people I would never have met before.
“We are also excited about our seed hub project, in Scarborough Library, which we look to expand to Filey and Whitby so we can provide locally adapted seeds for people to grow for free.”
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