Green-fingered customers, residents and students have been recognised for helping Sunderland bloom in our annual gardening competition.
This month, we crowned all the winners of our annual Ready, Set, Grow gardening competition, celebrating the customers, communities and schools who are making a positive difference to their neighbourhoods through gardening and growing.
Each year, the competition encourages customers, schools and community groups to showcase their gardening skills, creativity and commitment to improving outdoor spaces.
This year, awards were presented across five categories to celebrate every type of gardener, making it clear that you don't need a large garden to make a positive impact. From colourful containers and small spaces to thriving community projects and school gardens, the competition recognised creativity, care and community spirit in all forms. As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, a special 25 Years Forward: Future Grow Award was launched, recognising projects that inspire future generations through sustainability, learning and environmental stewardship.
Judges from our Housing and Estate Services teams carefully reviewed the entries, looking for gardens and growing spaces that showcased creativity, pride and a positive contribution to local neighbourhoods.
Each winner was presented with a trophy, certificate and £200 prize to help them continue developing and enjoying their outdoor spaces.
Each year, the competition reflects our commitment to creating greener, more vibrant neighbourhoods across Sunderland.
The winners:
Best Customer Garden
This year’s Best Customer Garden award was presented to Mrs Maureen Guy, whose impressive garden delighted judges with its variety of plants and produce, including pear and apple trees, sunflowers and herbs. The garden showcased both outstanding care and a passion for gardening, creating a colourful and welcoming outdoor space.
Best Small Space/ Planters and Pots
The Best Small Space, Planters and Pots award was won by Gentoo customer Lisa Reed, who impressed judges with her imaginative use of a compact outdoor area. Through creative planting and clever design, Lisa demonstrated how even the smallest spaces can be transformed into thriving green spaces.
Community Bloom Award
The Community Bloom Award was awarded to residents at Albany House for their dedication to maintaining a flourishing communal garden. Residents fundraise and carry out the garden upkeep themselves, creating a welcoming shared space that brings people together, fosters community spirit and builds pride in the place they call home.
Best School Garden
Students from East Herrington Primary Academy were awarded the Best School Garden title for the garden’s ambition, creativity and its ability to bring together multiple generations of the local community.
25 Years Forward: Future Grow Award
The 25 Years Forward: Future Grow Award was presented to students at Houghton Kepier School in recognition of their commitment to sustainability, environmental learning and encouraging future generations to develop gardening and growing skills. Their project demonstrated how outdoor learning can support education, wellbeing and environmental awareness.
Chris Roberts, Director of Customer at Gentoo said:
"Every year, our Ready, Set, Grow competition highlights the incredible pride our customers, communities and schools take in their outdoor spaces. The standard of entries was exceptionally high, and it was inspiring to see the creativity, dedication and community spirit demonstrated by everyone who took part.
"Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to everyone who entered. From beautiful gardens and colourful planters to thriving community projects and sustainable learning spaces, each entry played a part in making our neighbourhoods greener, brighter and more welcoming places to live."
Lisa Reed, Gentoo customer and winner of the Best Small Spaces award said:
“I’m over the moon to be a winner in this year’s competition, I don’t have a huge garden and never thought I’d be able to enter but you don’t need a lot of space to make something special, just a bit of creativity!”
