RHS & BBC The One Show community gardening award winner revealed

Park Lane Community Garden is the winner of the RHS and BBC The One Show Growing Together Award 2026 for Community Gardening.

Based in Corsham, Wiltshire, the community group wowed the judges with the transformation of a dumping ground into a productive green space in as little as 12 months. Local people have been involved throughout the process, from its creation to its maintenance and enjoyment.

Wiltshire fly-tipping site reborn as a community garden

For thirty years, the land adjacent to Park Lane in Corsham, Wiltshire, had lain forgotten. Overgrown and neglected, it had become a dumping ground for fly-tipping. Its dry-stone walls were crumbling and a tangle of laurel trees was slowly consuming everything around it, damaging garden walls and spreading unchecked across the field.

In October 2024, a local resident, Jon Brennan, decided that enough was enough. “I began clearing the central area, not entirely sure where it would lead,” he explained. “My ambition was to create a space where gardening could become a unifying force, breaking down the barriers that so often keep us apart, and that could be enjoyed by the whole community.”

Jon’s mission started after his visually impaired foster son, Les, passed away. “I was upset and angry after hearing someone say that people with disabilities had no right to access the countryside. This anger fuelled my determination to ensure that everyone could access this community of gardeners, regardless of age, status or ability, whether they were committed to the project or simply passing through.”

In the months that followed, many volunteers embraced the project. “We have supported members facing long-term illness, helped those struggling with loneliness and worked hard to create a genuine sense of belonging – a place where everyone is given a role within their abilities and every role is valued equally,” Jon said.

Park Lane Community Garden now features 17 raised beds for food growing, a rose garden, a sensory garden, an orchard and various floral borders. There are bird boxes, hedgehog houses, dead hedges providing shelter for smaller animals, a bug hotel and a wildlife pond. Two beehives have been installed in partnership with The Wiltshire Beekeeper, and beekeeping lessons are being offered.

The three-acre site has also become a popular hub for the community, where residents often go to wander, listen to the birds or lose themselves in a book. “Small things became important after losing Les, so we introduced sensory plantings in the belief that they would help improve the wellbeing of our users. In less than a year, a piece of land that had been written off has become something alive – not just with plants and wildlife, but with people, purpose and community. This is only the beginning,” Jon said.

Where people come to breathe and learn

Today, Park Lane Community Garden is maintained by a motivated team of 66 members, many of whom live in flats or have no access to a garden. There are also elderly people who can no longer manage a garden of their own, complete beginners who are supported by more experienced gardeners, individuals with a range of mental health challenges and people with disabilities, including wheelchair users.

“We recently completed an accessible ramp in partnership with the local council,” Jon said. “Our garden is close to a church and the new ramp now enables many members of the congregation to visit and participate. We have also set aside an area for them to grow flowers for church use.” Opposite the garden is a mobile home park where many residents face mobility challenges. Some join in with gardening, while others simply enjoy spending time in the space.

Education is another important aspect of the community project. “We have large flower beds where members learn plant names, understand how different species contribute to a mixed garden and explore the importance of biodiversity. We demonstrate why leaving some areas wild supports insects and birds and local schools now use the garden not only for play but for hands-on learning about nature.”

Park Lane Community Garden offers three weekly gardening sessions, courses and a buddy scheme. It welcomes people referred by the local GP practice through green social prescribing and a welfare volunteer is also on hand to provide support.

Celebrating community gardening

The RHS and BBC The One Show Growing Together Award shines a light on community gardening groups that are transforming green or unloved spaces into thriving community gardens that benefit the whole community and encourage a diverse range of people to try gardening for the first time.

Every project that took part in the 2026 competition will be recognised with a certificate of achievement for their work. This year’s winner, Park Lane Community Garden, will also receive £1,000 in National Garden gift vouchers to put towards planting and future development of the site, along with a plaque and certificate.

Special commendations go to the two runners up, Pollinator Pathways Project and LCDP Eco Hub, who will each receive £100 in gift vouchers.

Pollinator Pathways was founded in 2024, when Flora Beverly kick-started the greening of some of Bristol’s neglected alleyways. There are now eight pathways in and around Knowle, with local residents involved in their design, clear-up, planting of containers brimming with pollinator favourites and long-term watering and maintenance.

In the Welsh village of Llanharan, LCDP EcoHub is a response to reduced access to local green space caused by housing development. Jolene Allen led the transformation of scrubland into a thriving community hub in the town centre, where a wildlife garden plays host to bereavement support and art therapy, while providing a welcoming space for children.