The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has teamed up with the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) in order to unveil a new fund that is designed to encourage people to support community gardening projects.
Green-fingered enthusiasts up and down the country are all invited to apply for a portion of the funding – and the scheme has been dubbed the Elspeth Thompson Bursary.
This is in honour of the memory of garden writer and blogger Elspeth Thompson, who died in 2010 and has been described as an inspiration to many.
The £100,000 pot is now in its second year – and it has already funded more than a dozen community projects in local regions all over the country.
A wide range of applications have been successful in the past – including the provision of garden equipment to a charity in Caerphilly, which works closely with vulnerable and homeless young people.
The redevelopment of a communal garden in Northumberland was also funded, as was support for vulnerable and socially excluded adults in their efforts to regenerate a communal garden in Cardiff and community allotment with special facilities for disabled children.
Director of horticulture at the RHS Jim Gardiner underlined his belief that gardening can be a very powerful way of bringing people together.
He noted that the success of the RHS Britain in Bloom projects provides some very strong evidence for this.
Chairman of the NGS Penny Snell welcomed some of the positive results the fund has delivered in the past.
"The Elspeth Thompson Bursaries aim to support community projects and include diverse sections of society through horticulture and a community effort," she commented.
"Community gardening was very close to Elspeth's heart and we are delighted to be able to provide these bursaries in her name in partnership with the RHS," the expert continued.
