The Bournville Chocolate Garden is officially blooming marvellous!

The Bournville Chocolate Garden in Weston-super-Mare has scooped a top prize in the South West in Bloom awards. The volunteer-run garden has been awarded the prestigious Gordon Ford Trophy for the Best Neighbour category, which focuses on community involvement and environmental responsibility as well as gardening skills.

The Bournville Chocolate Garden was developed by the Bournville Area Residents Association (BARA) with the aim of creating an outside space that would act as a community meeting place, an area for educational development and a quiet area for local residents to come and enjoy nature. Work began in November 2010 and with funding help from Alliance Homes, South Ward Neighbourhood Management Partnership and the Big Lottery Community Spaces Fund, it was officially opened to the public in January 2011.

Anne Riney, former Chair of BARA who worked on the original concept for the garden, says about the award: "I am ecstatic and I have told everyone I know. It seems that all the hard work that has been done by the volunteers has been rewarded. When you look back at how it used to be when it was a concrete wasteland, the transformation is amazing. The garden is so well established now. We are absolutely over the moon!"

The garden offers learning opportunities for local schools as well as access to a Practical Horticulture qualification, run by Somerset Skills in partnership with the For All Healthy Living Centre. It also hosts a varied activity programme throughout the year for all ages so check the garden's Facebook page to find out what's happening or pop along to the garden.