Donaghmore add Cleaner and Greener gong to their growing list of accolades

THE awards keep rolling in for the hard working and dedicated volunteers of Donaghmore Horticultural Community as they scooped the Rural Community Cleaner and Greener Award 2021, winning a bumper £1,000 prize.

This latest accolade comes after they won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and first place in the Ulster in Bloom village section.

The Housing Executive award rewards and encourages efforts made by groups in rural communities who have come together to protect and enhance their built and natural environment and to promote sustainability.

It also gives rural communities and their local groups a chance to showcase the range of activities that they are involved with, helping to keep their areas vibrant, attractive places to live.

Donaghmore Horticultural Community was presented with the prestigious Cleaner and Greener award, south region, for its work building a community garden and compost area, recycling, including school children in projects and organising litter picks. They also created a wildlife garden and a host of colourful floral displays for the village.

Sammy Wilson, chair of Donaghmore Horticultural Community, said, “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award. Our group work very diligently throughout the year and our members really do deserve this recognition.

“Our work includes planting flowers for the village and planting up the flower beds in different estates. Some of our members have an allotment and we invite school children, including children with special needs, to our polytunnel to help pot plants and fill baskets around April time. We show them what to do and give them handy tips.

“We feel it important to involve children to give them a sense of pride in their environment and give them an interest and sense of ownership in their community. We always have a litter picking day, too, which the youngsters are very enthusiastic about,” he said.

“The street flowers really brighten up and enhance the town and have made it a more attractive place to live. New residents have injected fresh life into the village and are boosting its economy.”

Sharon Crooks who is the Housing Executive’s area manager for Mid-Ulster, congratulated members on their achievement and praised them for their continued efforts during lockdown.

“A big well done to Donaghmore Horticultural Community on their award. They deserve this recognition for their outstanding volunteering work in the community,” she said.

“The group has had a hugely positive impact on this community and has helped provide important human contact for people during Covid, which has been a very difficult time for many.

“They have also encouraged others to take more pride in their environment.”