Clare Hutchinson, Phil Rowbotham and Tracey McKeating 2024

Clare Hutchinson 

Clare has been a driving force behind the success of the YMCA Belfast’s Community Garden since its creation. As one of the founding volunteers, she played a key role in designing the garden layout and carefully selecting plants and flowers, with a particular focus on native species to promote local biodiversity. Her commitment to learning about sustainable gardening has been invaluable, helping shape the garden into a thriving, eco-friendly space.  

Clare’s creativity shines through in her handmade signage, which adds warmth and character to the space. She has gone above and beyond by leading open gardening sessions, coordinating the volunteer WhatsApp group, and delegating tasks, all while taking overall responsibility for maintaining the garden. By fostering a collaborative environment, Clare has empowered other volunteers to take ownership of the garden, making the project a true community effort under her thoughtful and capable management.  

Thanks to Clare’s tireless dedication, what was once a disused, overgrown area has been transformed into a welcoming place where local residents, young people, and community groups can come together to connect, learn new skills, and enjoy nature.

Phil Rowbotham 

Phil is a lead volunteer and treasurer of the Love Heaton Norris Group, which is a local unfunded voluntary group in Stockport, a town in Cheshire. Together, the group is transforming a large town centre brownfield site into a wildlife haven and community space. 

Phil has shown incredible commitment to the group and has been instrumental in the success of their Community Wilding Garden. When the group were trying to obtain permission from the council to utilise and enhance the site, it was Phil who really pushed this forward and convinced them. 

He is never one to shy away from getting stuck in and once permission was granted he obtained the tools needed and set about clearing the site. Under his guidance the group built bench seats from pallets and hired a digger to create a seasonal ‘scrape’ for bog plants. When nineteen tonnes of topsoil was delivered, it was Phil who organised a working party to wheel-barrow it to the main site. 

Phil has put in a huge amount of effort to fund applications on behalf of the group, which has led to success.  He also works hard in the wider community, helping Love Heaton to Norris to form supportive relationships with other community groups in the area. 

Tracey McKeating 

Tracey volunteers for Headin2Horticulture, a newly formed community group in Belfast, developing an urban garden situated between a GP practice and mental health surgery. 

Tracey has been involved with the project since its inception and is at the heart of the gardening group. She is always the first person to arrive and get the day started, opening up the store and assessing what needs to be done, watering, weeding, feeding the plants and tidying the space regardless of the weather.  

Tracey’s interest and knowledge in horticulture has really developed, especially in relation to growing healthy fruit and vegetables to benefit her community. She generously shares this knowledge with other volunteers and is now helping in the centre’s soup kitchen, using the produce that she harvests from the garden. 

Tracey can always be found talking to people who are going in and out of the GP and mental health unit as they pass through the garden, showing enthusiasm and brightening up everyone’s day with her positive can-do attitude and a smile.    

Tracey goes out of her way to provide support and encouragement to individuals who are struggling with their mental health, drawing on her own experiences of the benefits of gardening.  

Tracey’s journey of self discovery through gardening has made such a positive impact on the local community, in her own words, “if I can do this anyone can”.