Recently Awarded

Back in May 2022, we launched our very own community garden on site. We work with the Chelmsford CVS, South Woodham Ferrers Rotary Club and the RHS to maximise voluntary and community action, develop strong communities and enhance local wellbeing. It’s lovely to see this garden taking shape with our volunteers' energy and ideas.

The community garden is located at the entrance to our car park and volunteers attend sessions every Tuesday between 10am – 12noon. 

On Wednesday 31st January 2024, our director, Michael Smith, was invited to an awards ceremony in Chelmsford. 

We’re so pleased to announce that we were awarded with an appreciation & thanks award by the Chelmsford CVS in recognition of our contribution to our local community.  

Please see below the speech from Cllr Linda Mascot, Mayor of Chelmsford. 

“Our next honorees are a family business that has been living and working in South Woodham Ferrers for four generations, where they are firmly committed to giving back to the community that raised them.

The Smith family of Meadow Croft Garden Centre has proactively worked in partnership with local charities, and donated a beautiful plot of land to become a permanent Community Garden on its site.

The garden, which alongside growing food for locals in need, is also a dedicated safe space for South Woodham residents to come together and learn. The Centre continually floods the garden with donations of plants, materials, tools, and refreshments; and enthusiastic staff often drop-in to lend their expertise and, on one memorable occasion, spend their day off building our tool shed.

The Meadow Croft family are a lesson in never forgetting your roots, and in how lovely things can come from small seeds.” 

If you’d like to become a volunteer, Volunteers are still needed to help develop our community garden. 

Sessions are every Tuesday between 10am - 12noon. Our RHS expert, Alison Findley, will be there each week to give guidance and share her knowledge, and there will always be a range of different activities to do (including table-top ones for those who can't or do not wish to do more physical activities). 

Please do come along, and feel free to bring along any friends or neighbours who might also be interested. There will be tea, coffee and snacks provided, and you don't need to bring anything except sensible clothing and footwear.  

If you would like to get involved, please call the Chelmsford CVS on 01245 351888 or email [email protected] or if you'd rather then you can simply come along on a Tuesday to find out how you can get involved.