Sheffield community garden project for the over 50s wins gold award

Wild at Heart, a community project run by Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, won a gold award in the ‘Beautiful Borders’ competition at BBC Gardeners’ World Live after impressing the judges with their colourful display.

The competition entry was designed to inspire people to try out simple wildlife gardening ideas in their own gardens or community spaces.

Wild at Heart participants were involved in creating the border, sowing seeds, growing plants and making items for the garden.

Jenny King, Wild at Heart Project Leader, said: “We’re thrilled to have been presented with a gold award for our entry. It’s a great reward for everyone, especially the Wild at Heart participants who got really involved with the preparations and planting.

“Over the last five years our project has proven that connecting with nature creates opportunities for people to spark joy, start conversations which strengthen communities, and can be really beneficial for local wildlife.

“We wanted to show that you can provide food, shelter and water for wildlife at the same time as creating ‘beautiful borders’; gardening for wildlife doesn’t have to mean being untidy.

“The Trust’s own wildlife garden has been pivotal to the success of the project as we are able to use it for sessions throughout the year.

“We offer active gardening sessions where participants can share knowledge, plants and seeds and showcase simple ways that people can turn their garden into a haven for wildlife.

Wild at Heart is a project, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, which is specifically for adults aged 50 years and over to improve their wellbeing through seasonal nature-based activities.

Over the last five years, more than 4,000 people from Sheffield and Rotherham have taken part.

Abdou Sidibe, Head of Funding for Yorkshire & Humber region at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “This gold award is testament to the hard work and ambition of both the organisation and their participants, creating a beautiful community garden for future generations.”

Visit wildsheffield.com/wild-at-heart.