At Farnham Town Council’s annual Farnham in Bloom Awards evening on 6^th October, the Hale Community Centre’s community garden received the Madge Green Community Garden Award⁽¹⁾, the second accolade our community garden has received this year.

This award⁽²⁾ and the Level 4 (Thriving) Award for our Get Growing Gardening Project last month from South & South East in Bloom are major achievements for our small team of dedicated gardening volunteers (Alan, Dan, Jane and Judith) led by John Ely.

The volunteers work hard, in all weathers to ensure the garden at the front of the Centre is bright and colourful, complimenting those events that use it - Pop-up Café, Garden Parties, etc and supports our Community Fridge & Cupboard by supplying an extensive array of fresh home-grown fruit and vegetables for the community.

“We would like to congratulate our wonderful gardening volunteers, who truly deserve this award,” said Cathy Burroughs, Centre Manager at Hale Community Centre. “We would also like to thank them, and all of our volunteers, for the time and energy they give to the Centre, their support is very much appreciated by all of our staff and those that use the Centre.”

⁽¹⁾ Madge Green was the original driving force behind Farnham in Bloom before the Town Council took over. The Madge Green Community Garden Award is an aptly named award to ensure her legacy lives on.

⁽²⁾ The award consists of a certificate, £50 of Squires vouchers and a lovely engraved silver plate

The results for the South & South East in Bloom - Its Your Neighbourhood 2021 featuring the Hale Community Centre Get Growing Gardening Project have now been published. 

Congratulations to John Ely and our loyal band of volunteers, Alan, Dan, Jane, Judith and those special 'others' who come along to our Gardening Group on a Tuesday afternoon when time allows.  Its through your hard work, in all weathers, that we have attained a Level 4 (Thriving) Award with 83 points... just two points short of Outstanding! 

Well done to everyone involved and thank you for supporting our garden project and helping us to make a difference to local people