The winners of the Getting on with Gardening project's first national Blind Gardener of the Year awards have recently been announced. The project, run by Thrive and Royal National Institute of the Blind and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, launched the competition back in the spring. Over 80 entries were received in three categories, and the winners were as follows:
Young Blind Gardeners of the Year
Joint winners: Alex Rigby and Brackenfield School, Nottinghamshire and the Year 12 Skillpower group at Exhall Grange School, Coventry.
Old Hand winner: Harry Wardle of Stockport. 2nd prize: Eric Crate from Yeovil; 3rd prize: Nina Phillips of Winchester; 4th prize: Valerie Parkinson from Preston, George Wilcockson from Nottingham, and Edwina Mills of Coventry.
New to Gardening winner:
John Hodgson from Truro, Cornwall.
2nd prize: Leslie Watts from Gloucester; 3rd prize: Peter Wright from Greater Manchester. Eleven runners-up receive a year's free subscription to the 'Come Gardening' magazine.