A MELKSHAM care home was crowned the winner of a gardening competition organised for a group of homes across Wiltshire recently.
The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT), one of the UK’s largest not-for-profit care providers, hosted its annual Wiltshire Flower, Vegetable & Craft Show at Melksham Assembly Hall.
Over 100 residents from OSJCT’s Wiltshire care homes attended to enjoy a huge array of self-made goods and locally grown produce – from baked goods and ceramics to jams, floral arrangements and vegetable displays.
As part of the festival, all entries were judged and over 25 awards were presented, including a ‘Best In Show’ award for each category. In addition to resident awards, Brookside in Melksham was named 2016’s Trust in Bloom Competition winner for being home to the Trust’s best care home gardens in the county.
Chris Poole, OSJCT assistant operations director for Wiltshire said, “Not only did this year’s festival offer residents a chance to get back into an old hobby like gardening, baking or crafts, but it also gave a chance to meet with and share their creations with residents from other care homes throughout the county.
“We often hear residents say they’ve given up an old hobby because they think they can’t do it well anymore, so events like our annual harvest festival offer the perfect opportunity for them to give it another go and see for themselves that they’ve still got the skills and knowledge to grow fruit & veg, to bake a delicious cake or make a cosy knitted scarf or blanket.
“All of our residents worked really hard on their displays this year, so we couldn’t be prouder of the effort and dedication they have shown getting involved and showing off their creations.”
