Grow For Talgarth won the Environment award at the PAVO Volunteer Awards on Friday adding to their recent string of success.

The group, which started in 2016, hosted a small Zoom party to join the awards - pictured right - where they were up against Blodau Ystradgynlais and eight-year old environmental and litter-picking hero Brea Law from Tregynon.

Grow For Talgarth (GtT) has worked tirelessly and in all weathers to dig, plant and weed over the last five years to maintain beautiful green spaces across the town filled with an array of plants.

On Zoom after they were announced as the winners, the group said: “A huge thank you - we’re shocked actually, really shocked. We love what we do and we will continue to do what we do because we’re making spaces for people to sit and enjoy and to really make the town beautiful and to put Talgarth on the map because it’s a beautiful place to be, and more and more people are coming to visit us. The local residents are just enjoying everything we do to. So great, thank you - I actually can’t put words to the delight of us winning. Thank you.”

The green-thumbed group also achieved a Gold Award in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Wales in Bloom Competition in the Large Village category as well as becoming the overall winners of this category for the whole of Wales - speaking after the PAVO awards, the group said this was “no mean feat” as it is only the second time they had entered.

A GfT spokeswoman said the RHS judge John Woods gave them a “glowing report” and that he had praised the planting and the group’s approach to the “right plant, right place” as well as the new Shade Garden - Mr Woods said he was amazed that local volunteers and trade had designed, built and planted the garden through Covid and winter month.

The spokes said: “He was very impressed with the amount of visible local community support and he finished by saying that he had nothing negative to say!”

She added: “This has been a hectic year for all the GfT volunteers and next year will be even more exciting as Talgarth has been invited to host the national Wales in Bloom Awards Ceremony in September 2022. Representatives from around seventy gardening groups from all over Wales will be welcomed to Talgarth to discover their competition results. The GfT volunteers feel this is a huge honour for the town and will be working closely with the community to make the day a total success.”

Contact the group via email by emailing Rosie Williams using [email protected] or Gaynor Weavers by using gaynor@[email protected] or by joining them on a Wednesdays or a Sunday for a chat.

Commenting on the group’s success, Talgarth County Councillor William Powell said: “I am delighted to see this year’s Environment Award in the PAVO Volunteer of the Year Celebration coming home to Talgarth.

“It is richly deserved recognition of the many hundreds of hours of hard work and effort by so many, but also the drive and vision of a much smaller number, who have been so inspirational in our community.

“It was a tough category, with highly compelling cases on behalf of the other two nominees in our category – Brea the warrior litter-picker in her community and of course, Blodau Ystradgynlais, both so active in their respective areas.

“However, I am conscious of the truly transformative nature of ‘Grow For Talgarth’ – in the efforts to inculcate an appreciation of local growing and an enhanced sense of civic pride. I join members of Talgarth Town Council and the wider community in saluting their efforts.

“It was therefore a further cause for celebration last Friday, when news emerged from the Wales in Bloom All Wales Awards in Beaumaris, Ynys Mon that ‘Grow for Talgarth’ had been presented with a Gold Award and subsequently with the All Wales Award in the ‘Large Village’ category.

“It is only fitting that the group should have been recognised, both within our county, but also at an All Wales level, for their volunteer effort as well as the excellence of their achievements."

a href="https://www.facebook.com/BreconRadnorExpress">Visit our Facebook page by clicking here to see more photos of the group's work.