The love that Badshot Lea residents have for their village is a given but now there is official evidence!

Earlier this year, Badshot Lea Community Garden won a ‘Love Where You Live’ award from Squire’s Garden Centre and now have a plaque to prove it.

The garden was one of just nine winners out of more than 80 entrants to the ‘Love Where You Live’ programme.

The team which runs the community garden was given Squire’s vouchers which it used to equip two projects. It ran a ‘Tallest Sunflower Competition’ for under-11s for which it gave away 80 sunflowers to more than 70 families.

Winners of the top three places in two classes were presented with Squire’s vouchers and certificates at a garden party in August, and is expected to become an annual event.

It also set up a pre-school class on Friday mornings for six weeks in the summer. Children carried out garden and craft activities and got to explore and experience the garden. It worked so well that there are plans to expand it next year.

John Martin, project co-ordinator at Badshot Lea Community Garden, said: ”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.”