The Eden Project has helped "bring the community spirit" back to Stourport by gifting a prize garden to a local group.
A team of expert horticulturalists from the Eden Project visited Food Share Wyre Forest on Wednesday (January 24) to install a brand-new garden in recognition of the outstanding work it does in the community.
People of all ages rolled up their sleeves and mucked in to transform the previously disused outdoor space into a multipurpose garden as a reward for being crowned the UK's friendliest community.
Founder of Food Share Wyre Forest, Vel McMillan, said: "We were delighted to welcome the Eden Project team to our community centre this week and couldn't be happier with our brand new garden.
"It was brilliant to see our own volunteers as well as local people and the fantastic Muddy Boots team getting involved too.
"This garden is a credit to each of our volunteers who are all committed to bringing community spirit back to our area."
Food Share Wyre Forest, which distributes food to over 300 people each week, hopes the new garden will help it share more fresh and healthy food with local people and provide fruit including plums, apples, raspberries and more.
The group was established in 2022 at Walshes Community Centre and is now a "lifeline" in the community, supported by Community Housing, who own the centre.
The project was awarded the prize garden after winning the Eden Project Communities' Coronation Communities rewards scheme as part of the Coronation Big Lunch in 2023.
Eden Project Communities Programme Director, Lindsey Brummitt, said: "It was absolutely fantastic to spend the day at Food Share Wyre Forest where the whole community mucked in to create a very special new outdoor space fit for the UK's friendliest community.
"From our own Eden Project horticulturalists sharing skills with Muddy Boots groundwork volunteers to Velda and her team keeping everyone fed and neighbours picking up a spade and joining in, it truly was a team effort.
"With parts of the garden set to bloom as soon as this spring, we're so excited to see this inspiring community use the space to grow food, connect with nature and host their very own Big Lunch this June."
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