Our Materials and Building Products teams have donated more than 30 tonnes of gravel, several large limestone boulders and Whinstone walling stone from our Northumberland-based quarries, as well as bagged building sand and cement for a team of volunteers to help support the creation of Gateshead’s new Swedish inspired garden at Saltwell Park.
Our volunteers, from across the North East Materials team, helped with the creation of The Buzzing Garden, a project being led by the National Garden Scheme (NGS) with support from Gateshead Council, and is the result of a collaboration between North East England and Region Västra Götaland in West Sweden.
The new garden in Saltwell Park – one of the top ten parks in the UK – is due to open during the World Transplant Games in August, and once opened will provide a focus for educational, economic and cultural collaborations between the Swedish and UK communities to visit and to hold social and business events.
John Riley, area director, Materials – North East, Cumbria and Lancashire, said: “I’m delighted to be a part of this local project and helping to create an exciting new garden for the people of Gateshead.
“We’re committed to supporting the communities we work and operate in and to be able to physically get outside and help develop this garden was a great opportunity that the whole team enjoyed.”
Jonathon Earl, general manager, Packed Products, added: “We’re proud to be able to provide a range of decorative aggregates and sands for the team to use in such an interesting project.”
As part of the collaboration, National Garden Scheme Publicity Officer for the North East, Susie White, designed ‘A Classic English Garden’ for Jonsered Manor in Gothenburg to publicise the scheme – which was a huge hit with Swedish garden visitors.
The new British biodiverse garden will attract pollinators including butterflies and bees, and visitors will also be able to enjoy a meadow and a cottage garden.
