RESIDENTS in North Wales are being encouraged to enter their applications for the Community Gardens Award as organised by the National Garden Scheme.

The award is returning in 2022 after a year’s break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Projects that have benefitted from a Community Gardens Award previously include Antur Aelhaeam in Gwynedd, which promotes a sense of community in the village of Llanaelhaearn and the associated district, designed to halt and reverse the trend towards depopulation.

The garden project aims to create a bridge between the generations, to lessen the stigma of living with dementia and to promote better understanding of the condition.

An award of £2,575 funded a potting shed and greenhouse along with lots of tools and materials.

National Garden Scheme chief executive, George Plumptre, said: “We’re delighted to be offering our Community Gardens Award grants again.

“These hugely popular grants provide funding to amateur gardeners from community groups in England and Wales to create a garden or similar project (such as an allotment) with a horticultural focus for the benefit of the local community or charitable group.

“The aim should be to bring a community together by creating or developing a space that people can share, by the acquisition and sharing of gardening knowledge and skills, and by inspiring a love of gardening.”

In 2020, 44 grants totalling more than £97,000 were awarded, supporting community allotments and gardens, rehabilitation, and regeneration projects, as well as gardens designed to support mental health and wellbeing, and training and development for young people.

Mr Plumptre added: “We welcome applications for projects that foster diversity and/or support people with physical or mental disability.

“With all applications considered on their individual merits, there is no fixed amount, but awards do not usually exceed £5,000.”

Submissions close on February 28 and applicants will be notified of the results in April 2022.

For more details and an application form, visit: ngs.org.uk/cga-application.