Community Champions 2018
Tring in Transition have won the 2018 Dacorum Community Champion Award for their Community Food Garden.
The Community Champion Award recognises the spirit of individuals and community groups who work on a voluntary basis to make their community cleaner, safer and greener.
Tring in Transition is a grass roots organisation whose aim is to build a more sustainable town. Since May 2016, it has worked in partnership with Tring Allotments Association, Tring Town Council and Tring Together on an initiative to create a Community Garden at Duckmore Lane.
The area was once a litter-strewn, derelict site, but has since been transformed by hard-working volunteers who now provide a safe, clean garden, which is split into two main areas. The first area is for the growing of annual crops in raised vegetable beds, hosting barbecues and gatherings. The second area is being developed as a Forest Garden – with a selection of fruit trees, bushes and smaller plants, all of which produce something edible for the community to harvest and enjoy. By increasing the variety of plants, herbs and wildflowers, a greater number of butterflies and insects have been encouraged, with birds also nesting in the perimeter hedge. Using permaculture techniques and a no-dig approach, a sustainable garden has been successfully created.
The garden is well used by the Tring community – the Scouts, Cubs and Beavers have helped develop the area and use it for their outdoor activities, while the garden has provided space for Tring Allotments Association to hold their annual show. Tring Women’s Institute have also adopted one of the raised beds to provide a beautiful flower display. The garden is also wheelchair and pushchair accessible and offers small children the opportunity to enjoy playing in their specially created digging bed.
Christine Hopkins, one of the founding members of Tring Community Garden, said: ‘The garden is for everyone in the community to enjoy. It’s a peaceful place to sit and relax, to enjoy and share the produce – and maybe do some gardening. We hope more people will come and share the garden and participate in its continuing development.’
Volunteers, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and ages, meet on the second Sunday of every month between 10am and 12pm. If you would like to learn more about Tring Community Garden, the work they do, or how you can volunteer, visit www.facebook.com/TringInTransition.
Highly commended
Another Tring resident, Kirsten Riemer, was highly commended in the individual category.
Although Kirsten has three young children, she has been pivotal in organising monthly ‘Pavement Playing Out’ sessions along a section of Beaconsfield Road in Tring, as well as an annual summer street party.
Kirsten’s nominee said: ‘Not only are the street parties in the summer a fun event, it has enabled many neighbours to meet each other in an informal setting. I feel that Beaconsfield Road is a friendlier and more supportive location because of this.’
Kirsten said: ‘It takes just one person to act as a catalyst for good in our community. I was inspired by another and wanted to emulate what he was doing in his road. I’m so pleased that neighbours are seeing the local benefit, and hopefully I can inspire someone else.’
Our warmest congratulations to both of these worthy winners!
