Young gardeners at The Alnwick Garden supported by Lovell
Members of a gardening group for young people with additional needs are growing produce in a new polytunnel thanks to support from Lovell.
The national partnership housing specialist sponsored the Winter Light Trail at The Alnwick Garden last year, and money from this sponsorship was put directly towards the purchase of the new equipment for the charity’s Young Gardeners and Roots & Shoots programmes.
The sponsorship is part of an ongoing collaboration with the charity.
The polytunnel will allow the group to extend the growing season into the winter, as well as grow heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, chillies, peppers and cucumbers which need extra warmth. They will also protect the group’s plants from severe weather and pests like birds, caterpillars and rodents, and provide a warm, sheltered environment for starting seeds and young seedlings.
Lisa Winter, Wellbeing Programme Officer at The Alnwick Garden, said: “On behalf of everyone at our Young Gardeners group, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Lovell for their incredibly generous sponsorship of our brand new polytunnel.
"This wonderful contribution provides a safe, sheltered and accessible space where our Young Gardeners can learn, grow and thrive all year round. The support goes far beyond funding a structure: it opens up vital new opportunities for our gardeners to develop practical skills, build confidence and connect with nature in a meaningful way.
"We are immensely grateful to Lovell for their commitment to supporting the local community and creating lasting, positive experiences for these inspiring young individuals.”
The partnership between the Lovell team in the North East and the Young Gardeners group has already seen the young people help to design the new show home garden at Edward's Birch in nearby Morpeth, which is already being enjoyed by prospective buyers visiting the development.
Ashleigh Tate, Marketing and Social Impact Manager for Lovell in the North East, said: “We are so proud of our special partnership with the Young Gardeners programme at The Alnwick Garden which is helping the young people not only to develop gardening skills but also to build friendships and social connections.
“It is wonderful to see the group’s members enjoying their sessions at The Alnwick Garden and we’re pleased our sponsorship has enabled the charity to purchase a new polytunnel which will help extend the growing season for them into the winter months.
“This partnership is a great example of the way that we aim to champion and support organisations which make a real difference to the lives of people in local communities where we are building.”
The Young Gardeners have recently been busy harvesting the produce they’ve grown at The Alnwick Garden over the summer, with crops of leeks, carrots, beetroots, sunflowers and chillies.