Selsey’s Hidden Garden receives RHS ‘Outstanding’ award
Volunteers at Selsey’s Hidden Garden are celebrating after the community project was presented with a prestigious RHS award at Wisley in Surrey.
The team received a Level 5 Outstanding rating in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme at an awards presentation on Friday, 25 September.
The non-competitive scheme recognises grassroots community gardening projects and rates them from Level 1 through to Level 5, with Outstanding being the highest level.
Paul Sadler, Grow Selsey Manager, said the volunteers were delighted with the achievement, particularly as it was the first time the group had entered the scheme.
“It is the first time we have entered this scheme and are thrilled to have achieved this prestigious RHS Level 5 Outstanding Award,” he said. “Our volunteers work so hard throughout the year to make our community garden a delightful place to visit and be inspired.”
The Hidden Garden is a community gardening project designed to encourage local people to get involved in growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, while also creating spaces where wildlife can thrive.
Based in Selsey, the garden is open to people of all ages and abilities and is organised by the Selsey Community Forum. A dedicated team of local volunteers helps maintain the garden throughout the year.
Residents can visit The Hidden Garden on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
The award forms part of the wider South & South East in Bloom programme, a regional initiative affiliated with the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign. It celebrates community gardening, horticulture and environmental responsibility across areas including Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and parts of Dorset and Wiltshire.