Squire’s Milford celebrates success with Farncombe Community Garden

Squire’s Garden Centres Milford has presented Farncombe Community Garden with a special plaque marking the success of their ‘Love Where You Live’ programme, which saw a project at the site receiving a special  award back in March. The presentation marked the culmination of a four month long project and concluded Squire’s horticultural programme for the current year.

Squire’s had awarded a total of £5,500 in gardening vouchers to nine local community gardening projects as part of its ‘Love Where you Live’ 2024 programme, supporting the work of  projects within communities close to its centres.

The programme assists community gardening projects that educate, grow produce, or provide  health and wellbeing benefits through horticulture.  Following the unveiling of the programme, over 80 applications were received in a matter of weeks, highlighting the need for funds by local groups who are championing horticulture for the benefit of their local community. 

Nine groups were selected for an award, comprising Squire’s vouchers enabling recipients to choose plants, tools and other gardening supplies. Over the spring and summer months the projects got underway, award recipients reported back on their progress, highlighting their successes and how the award had been used to make a difference to local projects and people.

Deepa Craig, Trustee of Farncombe Community Garden Management Team, comments: ”We were really delighted to be a recipient of a Squire’s ‘Love Where You Live’ award early this year. It has enabled us to fund project work that will assist our volunteers and importantly, benefit the wider community. We have been able to purchase gardening materials to support our project enabling us to make good headway – the award has made a big difference.”

Farncombe Community Garden used their award to:

• expand the vegetable growing area by purchasing more growing material
• enable the project to involve more people in gardening activities, including Duke of Edinburgh students, specialist schools, as well as local residents, by having more gardening equipment and tools available
• enhance their woodland by adding English bluebells
• make the entrance to the garden more attractive and inviting by planting bulbs and annuals

Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, comments: “We were really pleased to make awards to a range of important local projects. It has been fantastic to see that there are so many keen supporters and groups with a strong desire to enhance their local environment through the wonderful benefits horticulture delivers.

“The feedback we have received certainly confirms the awards have made a difference and assisted volunteers with some rewarding work which will be of wider benefit either to users of the gardens or the wider community. We hope these awards have helped start projects that will continue into the future and enable groups to create something pleasing for communities to enjoy or creating shared spaces that brings individuals together. Our centres are embedded in the communities we serve and ‘Love Where You Live’ enables Squire’s to give back to the local area.”

Squire’s ‘Love Where You Live’ 2025 programme will open for applications in late 2024.