Shildon Town Council and Shildon Alive work together each year to provide a range of horticultural and environmental opportunities to Children attending Shildon’s Primary Schools, both onsite and in the wider community using Hackworth Park, St John’s Church Yard and Furnace Pitt Community Garden.

Unfortunately, last year due to ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to deliver our planned activities with school pupils,  one of which was to be the sowing of the brand new Legacy VE Day 75 Wildflower Meadow.

We were however fortunate that we also have DAAC – Durham Agency Against Crime, using Hackworth Park,  as an outdoor learning environment. Once it became apparent we were unable to proceed as planned with the schools,  DAAC stepped up, and offered to help us out by getting their young people involved in sowing the new 70metre by 30meter meadow area.

They made a great job, and ensured we were able to meet the criteria of the Civic Pride ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ Grant Scheme, in conjunction with Northumbria in Bloom and the RHS which provided us with an opportunity to again entre the ‘In Your Neighbourhood Awards 2021. Representatives of the group attended the presentations on 29th September,  where the new Legacy VE Day 75 Wildflower Meadow, helped us again attain  ‘Thriving’, status again, for this project work,  a fantastic result for  everyone involved.

Darlington College are asking residents what courses they would like to see in Shildon. You can have you say by visiting the SurveyMonkey – on Course suggestions at    https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/X2JRRP9