Page 59 - ALG Issue 3 2019

had nominated Eden Gardens for the Queens Award for Voluntary Service*. Her nomination was also supported by Howard Davies, the Area Manager for Contour Homes (now Onward Homes).
We were visited by a deputy of Greater Manchester’s Lord Lieutenant for an assessment, and in April 2019 were advised by Buckingham Palace that
we were to be given the award. This had to be kept a secret until the formal announcement was made on the 2nd June, then we could tell the world. We even received two invitations to attend a Buckingham Palace garden party.
So, from a near derelict site in 2010 to a Garden of Eden in 2019, we are extremely proud of our achievements.
The pictures show people attending
our Open Day; the children from the Children’s Centre and a line-up of some of our current plotholders.
Bill Smethurst, Secretary, Eden Gardens Allotment Association, Whitefield, Bury
*Any volunteer-led group comprising two or more people that are making
a positive impact on the lives of other people in an exceptional way can be nominated for an award. A group must satisfy the eligibility requirements before the nomination can be processed through to the assessment stages of the award. More details can be found on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service website: https://www. gov.uk/queens-award-for-voluntary- service
We knew that plot rental alone would not be enough to sustain the site so we decided to hold an Open Day which attracted 400 people, & provided much needed funds
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 59