Grow Ltd wins £2,500 top prize at Conservation Awards

The charity provides training and employment for people at its site on Verte Rue and the awards have also recognised the Homes for Wildlife project, for which the team have been building homes for animals such as bat, bug and bird boxes.

Grow assistant manager Jess Aughton said the crew had been excited to win.

‘We are all chuffed,’ she said.

‘We are very, very proud.’

The boxes have been a big success. Some are sold at the Christmas fair and spring open day and Mrs Aughton said they had a constant stream of orders.

The prize money will be used to install an extraction system in the workshop.

Fundraising is under way to redevelop the site and under the new plans the workshop will be expanded. Currently only two people can fit in it, but the improved one will be four times the size and will also mean the crew can do metalwork. But that also means a new extraction system is needed.

Sark’s Le Vallon d’Or Woodland project received the runner-up £1,500 prize, to encourage a biodiverse woodland habitat.

The Bailiwick’s marine environment is taught to children through the Alderney Wildlife Trust’s Exploring Our Seas boat trips, which secured the £500 Best Education Project prize.

Judging panel chairwoman and Insurance Corporation HR & PR executive Michelle Steele said an overwhelming number of entries were received this time around, with the awards having run for over 30 years.

‘We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the broad range of entries and this year was no exception,’ she said, adding that many islanders were committed to the natural environment.

‘We were delighted to award Grow Ltd with the top prize this year, for not only finding ways to look after the local wildlife but also supporting our community to develop new skills. Congratulations to all the entrants and especially our winners.’

La Houguette School Eco Club was rewarded with £250 after winning the Young Conservationists of the Year Award.

This year the Lockdown Award was introduced and was won by the Pollinator Project, which engaged the community to conserve local nature during the pandemic in partnership with Guernsey Mind.

Angela Salmon received the 2021 Unsung Hero Award for decade-long group coordinator volunteering and success with Guernsey Conservation Volunteers.

Guernsey Marine Litter Project manager Richard Lord received the Peter Walpole People’s Choice Award, created in honour of the Insurance Corporation and competition founder, of £500 to go towards marine conservation.

Ordinarily a ceremony would be held to announce the winners but that was not done this year.