BELFAST — A volunteer gardening group at Annadale Community Centre has turned a once lifeless strip of grass into a flourishing space that residents now describe as a hidden gem.
The garden, on the Ormeau Road in Belfast, has been transformed over the past year with the help of weekly volunteers meeting every Tuesday. The group is due to mark its first birthday in September.
Its work has now been recognised with a nomination for the BBC Make a Difference Awards, where it is a finalist in the Environmental Award category.
People involved with the project say it has improved the local environment and given residents somewhere to grow, connect and heal.
How the garden changed in a year
Kirstie Rowan, who has been involved since the beginning, said the project has gone through “lovely big changes” since it started. She said the space began with grass, unwanted containers and a polytunnel, but now includes a pond, a tree bed and vegetables.
She said the garden has continued to improve week by week as new flowers and more growth appear. For her, the attraction is not only the planting but the atmosphere. She said some members do not work, so the sessions help them get out of the house each week.
Rowan added that people are never pressured to do anything when they arrive. In her view, the real value is simply being there with others and enjoying the setting together.
Friends, routine and support for local people
For Fayth Duffy, joining the group after moving to the area has helped her put down roots. She said she had found it difficult to meet people, especially as her children got older and she was no longer seeing other parents at the school gate or through toddler groups.
Duffy said the friendships made through the garden have been a “game changer”. Members often meet for coffee afterwards and check in on one another by phone to make sure everyone is there.
Another regular, Larry Andrews, said the group became a refuge after his wife died last year. The 87-year-old former butcher said his daughter found the garden through WhatsApp and he has been attending since September last year.
He said it has given him company and the chance to meet different people, adding that he has been surprised by how many friendships have grown from the weekly visits.
Why the nomination matters to the volunteers
Amber Jennings, who works with the group and offers gardening tips, said the award nomination means a great deal to everyone involved. She described the garden as a hidden gem on the Ormeau Road where people can retreat on a Tuesday morning and learn how to garden alongside others in the community.
Jennings said the group’s main aim is to improve the wellbeing of people in the area. She has seen the difference the routine and social contact can make, especially for those who benefit from spending time outdoors with others.
The BBC Make a Difference Awards recognise individuals and groups who improve or conserve their local environment. Annadale Community Centre Gardening Group is one of four finalists in the Environmental Award category.
The other finalists are Daniel McAfee from Ballycastle, Alannah Agnew from Cookstown and Eco Rangers NI from Carrickfergus.
When the winners will be announced
The award winners will be announced live on Vinny and Cate’s BBC Radio Ulster programme on Friday 25 September.
For the Annadale volunteers, the nomination is a public acknowledgement of the work they have put into the space over the past year. The garden has become more than a growing area, with residents saying it now offers a place to meet, talk and support one another.
As the group prepares to celebrate its first anniversary, members say the project has shown how a small local initiative can have a wider impact on everyday life in the neighbourhood.
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