Supporting Charities and our Community
Schools in Bloom Competition
The Meadow Croft Schools in Bloom competition began as a way to support schools in outdoor provisions as well as encouraging children to garden at school and at home. It also offers schools the change to use free plants to brighten up any areas they felt like planting, and to help form the basis for school gardening.
Every year, Meadow Croft invites local schools within a 5 mile radius, to enter the Schools in Bloom Competition. Plants are delivered to the participating schools in early April. School then have until the beginning of July to grow the plants and display them in whatever containers, styles or pots they choose, ready to be judged by the Schools in Bloom panel. The winner receives a £100 Meadow Croft voucher to spend on gardening provisions or plants for their school.
The competition, which is in its 10th year, has seen some amazing efforts from the children.
We can now release the winners for 2022.
1st Place - Hilltop Infant School Wickford
2nd Place - Edward Francis Rayleigh
3rd Place - St Mary's C of E Woodham Ferrers
If you are a school staff member or volunteer and would like to enter your school into this year’s competition to be in with the chance of winning a £100 Meadow Croft voucher for your school, please contact Ann on [email protected] for more information.
Local Schools
Each year we set an allocated budget to help local schools with their fundraising. If you are a member of a local schools PTA group, please get in contact because we may be able to help you with your raffle prizes or gardening donations. Please contact Jane on [email protected] for more information.
Charity Donations
Every year for our festivals or events, we try and incorporate a charity to donate to. In 2017, we donated 10% of all Lavender and Lavender food sales during our Lavender Festival to the Lavender Trust, a charity that helps female cancer patients. In 2018, we managed to raise over £830 for the trust.
For the 2016 German Market, we also created a wishing well for Little Haven’s Hospice, all proceeds from the well went to the charity, and hopefully granted some wishes too. In 2020, we were proud to announce that we manage to raise and donate £4733.58 to the Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund.
We also take part in the National Christmas Jumper Day and Meadow Croft donates £5 to Save the Children for each staff member that wears a jumper to work. In 2021, we raised £136.50!
2018 Competition
Every year schools within a 5 mile radius of Meadow Croft are invited to take part in the competition. Seedlings are delivered in April and the schools grow the plants to produce their gardens ready for judging in July.
The schools this year were asked to come up with themed gardens and they did not disappoint! The judges said ‘It has been a pleasure to see all the gardens. The children have clearly worked very hard and their efforts could give Chelsea Flower Show a run for their money!’
First place went to Collingwood School for their 'Collingwood Bay' themed garden, complete with beach, boat and sail shelter. Well done to all the children and their adult helpers for creating literally something out of nothing!
Second place went to Hilltop Infants for their 'Caring and Sharing Garden'. All the children took a plug plant home to look after until they were ready to plant into their container garden and the containers were all distributed to the neighbouring houses to the school.
Third place went to Little Darwin's Nursery. The children had created a bath-themed garden and it was very well cared for.
This year, the Meadow Croft Young Gardener of the Year Award for outstanding contributions to school gardening went to Imogen S from Rayleigh Primary School.
The schools that entered this year were:
Little Darwin's Nursery, Hilltop Infant School, Collingwood Primary School, Woodville Primary School, Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School, East Hanningfield Primary School, Riverside Primary School, Rettendon Primary School and Rayleigh Primary School.
If you are a school staff member or volunteer and would like to enter your school into this year’s competition to be in with a chance of winning a £100 Meadow Croft voucher for your school, please contact Jane for more information on 01245 320314.
Charity Donations
Every year for our festivals or events, we try and incorporate a charity to donate to. In 2017 we donated 10% of all Lavender and Lavender food sales during our Lavender Festival to the Lavender Trust, a charity that helps female cancer patients. This year we managed to raise over £830 for the trust.
For the 2016 German Market, we also created a wishing well for Little Haven’s Hospice, and all proceeds from the well went to the charity, and hopefully granted some wishes too. We also take part in the National Christmas Jumper Day and Meadow Croft donates £5 to Save the Children for each staff member that wears a Christmas jumper to work.
Supporting Local Youth Football
We are proud sponsors of South Woodham Ferrers United Y U15 Leopards and we support youth football by providing Meadow Bank Park and football pitch for the youth teams, which is based at Meadow Croft.
