Teesside Hospice wins national sustainability award
P&G has awarded Teesside Hospice with a £10,000 bursary for the project 'Dig Deep to Help Us Grow' at the 5th Future Friendly Awards.
The bursary will help to develop the innovative scheme to support the Hospice through sales of donated locally grown fruit and vegetables in its 12 Charity Shops across Teesside.
The award ceremony took place at the London Wetland Centre on Tuesday 27th September and Tracy O'Donnell, Retail Area Manager at Teesside Hospice was presented with the award by TV presenter and green mum, Gabby Logan.
The Future Friendly Awards are a nationwide search for community groups and individuals who are making a real difference through championing sustainability. Teesside Hospice's 'Dig Deep to Help Us Grow' was one of the 12 community groups from across the UK and Ireland to have been shortlisted via a public vote. A panel of sustainability experts - including representatives from the Energy Saving Trust, Waste Watch and Waterwise then selected a national winner.
The scheme brings together the community to donate excess fruit and vegetables grown by local residents on their allotments or from their back gardens to support the Hospice. The Charity Shops sell the locally grown produce throughout the year, reducing food miles and encouraging different groups to grow their own food sustainably. Durham Tees Valley Probation Service also work with the scheme to make use of its very large allotment. The workforce is a team of probationers who are completing their community service, which gives them new skills, helps them pay back their debt to society and raises funds for the Hospice.
Tracy O'Donnell, said "We are thrilled to have won the award, particularly as we were up against such impressive finalists. All the projects are so inspiring and worthy of recognition. The bursary will be spent on more seeds and equipment including a polytunnel to grow more exotic things to sell in our shops around the area."
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