Devon Gardens is now the award-winning Devon Gardens!
At a ceremony at Sheffield Town Hall on 3 December in front of the Lord Mayor, representatives of the Friends of Devon Gardens group were delighted to receive a Highly Commended Award at the Sheffield First Environment Community Awards 2009.
The award recognised the efforts of the Friends group, working in conjunction with the City Council, to transform the Victorian nanny park in the inner city area of Pitsmoor, which used to be regarded by local residents as an eyesore, and as somewhere that had been allowed to deteriorate badly.
The judging panel commented on how the park had been rejuvenated and turned into a valuable community facility. They were most impressed with the increase in use of the park by all parts of the local community – for parties and events, for children as somewhere safe to play, and just as a pleasant green space to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Receiving the award from the Lord Mayor were representatives from the Friends group John Chapman, Phil Jakob, Nigel Orrell and Gaynor Carr.
The Sheffield First Environment Community Awards
For the last five years, these awards have recognised community projects put forward by voluntary groups that have made a difference to Sheffield’s environment, showcasing best practice and inspiring others to undertake their own initiatives.
Professor Ted Kitchen, Chairman of the Environment Board said: “This year we were delighted to receive a wide range of applications from right across the city, with a particularly high standard of entries.”
This years’ panel of judges comprised Professor Ted Kitchen, Dr Joanne Grenfell and the City Council’s Director of Sustainable Development, Andy Nolan. They conducted site visits and carefully analysed the information submitted to make the difficult decisions of selecting the winning projects. Presented by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield Councillor, Councillor Graham Oxley, three projects were recognised for awards at the ceremony.
Hillsborough in Bloom were the outright winners for their efforts to transform their local community through making several physical improvements, using a community-led approach. Their efforts in this year’s ‘In Bloom’ competition were particularly appreciated by the judges.
The other award winners receiving Highly Commended awards were The Big Pull project in Moss Valley and the Friends of Devon Gardens in Pitsmoor.