A project in Abergavenny has been awarded a prestigious grant for its community work with vulnerable people in the town.

The Growing Space, in Mardy, boasts fruit and vegetable beds and an established orchard alongside the fruit trees the group has already planted.

The River Gavenny runs through the site and is finished with a tropical, prairie and herbaceous borders.

The gardens are tended to by the Growing Space team, who range from ages 18 to 96. Many of the team have a history of struggling with their mental health, have learning difficulties or may suffer from physical disabilities.

As a result of their hard work, The Growing Space has been awarded £3,353 from the National Garden Scheme (NGS). It is the first time the NGS has awarded one of its grants to a project in Abergavenny.

Debbie Field is the NGS County Organiser for Gwent and praised the project for its inclusivity and dedication to maintaining public spaces.

“The Growing Space is an amazing community project where anyone can go and meet other people and make friends through the power of gardening,” she said.

“People who attend the project have been overwhelmingly positive. The development of the garden provides a beautiful outlook for those accessing the care.”

As more people continue to benefit from the project, they need more equipment and tools, so the funding will be welcome for the volunteers who are already thinking of new ways to improve their gardens and make tending to them more enjoyable.

The money will go towards buying a potting shed with a small solar generator and heated mat to help their seedlings to grow.

The funding also ensures The Growing Space can continue to open for the National Garden Scheme, as it has done for the last two years, and has raised almost £1,000 to date.

Other gardens in the area have also benefitted previously, including The Old Vicarage in Raglan, which is celebrating twenty years of opening for the NGS this year on Easter Sunday. Some of the proceeds will be going to St Cadoc’s Church in Penrhos as well as helping to ensure the NGS can continue to provide spaces for the community to enjoy.

In May, Roger and Jenny Lloyd will be attending a Buckingham Palace Garden Party as a thanks for their fundraising work for the NGS at Highfields Farm, Penperlleni, and have raised over £75,000 for the organisation.

Debbie told us she was very proud of NGS gardeners across Gwent and thanks them for their work.

“Sadly this is likely to be the last opening [of The Old Vicarage] with the current owner but we are so grateful for all the hard work of those involved over the last twenty years,” she said.

“Additionally, I am delighted that Roger and Jenny Lloyd’s hardworking is being recognised by Buckingham Palace. Highfields Farm attracts huge numbers of visitors every year, and I would like to thank Roger and Jenny for their work.”