AN award-winning sheltered housing scheme has worked with the community to obtain funding for a garden project.

Hazelwood Court is a sheltered housing scheme operating in Heybridge, and through consultation at a resident’s meeting, it was decided that one of the garden areas needed a complete overhaul.

The garden area is part of a communal walkway through the scheme used by the general public, so Hazelwood sought community Involvement in raising the funds.

Scheme Manager Margaret Bolton liaised with Limebrook, the scheme’s gardeners, as to how this work could be carried out.

Limebrook worked hard during the year to completely clear the area and provided much of the work as free labour along with donating the membrane for the gravel.

Margaret said: “We then wrote to local garden centres to ask them to provide new shrubs and were delighted when Perrywood Garden Centre in Tiptree said they would like to donate to the project.

“We provided them with a wish list and they presented us with some beautiful shrubs.

“In addition to this a grant application was made to Heybridge Parish Council to cover the gravel and materials to complete the work.”

The funding was granted, and on Thursday November 16 Simon Burwood, of Heybridge Parish Council, came to present a cheque to scheme residents Jan Maynard, Sandra Johnsen and George Osborne.

Margaret added: “Our garden is now complete and we would like to say a big thank you to Heybridge Parish Council, Perrywood Garden Centre and Limebrook for their contributions and hope the general public has as much pleasure from our garden as we do, as they walk through the scheme.”