Pulp Friction CIC has won the People’s Choice Award and a Silver-Gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The flower show has run all week and finishes tomorrow (Saturday 25 May).
Pulp Friction’s ‘Growing Skills Garden’ featured a display of edible plants and recycled materials, including an old fire hose donated by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Their garden, which was part of the ‘All About Plants’ category, included five trees’, which represents the 5% of adults with a learning difficulty that are currently in paid employment. Pulp Friction’s main aim is to increase this statistic by allowing those with learning difficulties to develop skills that they can take into paid employment.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has worked closely with Pulp Friction for nine years, with their most recent venture seeing them run the canteen at the Police and Fire Joint Headquarters based in Nottingham.
Group Manager, Chris Emmott, has been the biggest fire service advocate for Pulp Friction ever since they started in 2015.
He said: “We have been working with Pulp Friction for many years now, so when the opportunity came up to support them during Chelsea, we couldn’t say no.
“Not only have fire service staff been helping throughout show week, but they have also been working hard behind the scenes with transporting both equipment and members from Nottingham to Chelsea. They will continue to help over the next few weeks too, as we focus on moving the garden to Stockhill Fire Station.
“It’s been amazing to see the reaction from the public this week, and I would like to thank every single person who has supported them. I would also like to extend my thanks to the designers, Will and Tin-Tin, for including a fire hose in the design of the garden to symbolise the collaboration between the two organisations.
I am so proud of everyone who has been involved in this, and it’s definitely a great end to the week to receive the People’s Choice Award, so thank you to everyone who voted.”
Jill Carter, the CEO of Pulp Friction, said: “We’re absolutely blown away to have won the People’s Choice Award. We are delighted that the public recognise the garden for its beauty and have a genuine interest in its story.
“We’d like to thank Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service not only for their support around Chelsea – delivering materials to site, lending their minibus, and donating the fire hose that is a key feature in the garden – but also for the support and kindness they’ve shown Pulp and our members over the years. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
Congratulations to Pulp Friction – you can pop down to Stockhill Fire Station on Saturday 15 June to watch the grand opening of the garden in its new home, as part of their open day between 10am and 3pm.
• Wilford Lane: Part-closure both ways now in place all this week
