Volunteer gardeners boosted by compost donation

Volunteer gardeners caring for Coy Pond in Bournemouth have received a generous donation of compost from Eco Sustainable Solutions as part of the company’s thirtieth anniversary celebrations.

Eco, which handles green and food waste for both BCP Council and Dorset Council, is marking the milestone by offering free soil and compost to thirty community groups across the area. Among the recipients were The Friends of Coy Pond, who were given two bulk bags of Eco Compost to help maintain the popular beauty spot.

Founded in 1998, the volunteer group meets every Tuesday during the growing season to preserve the tranquillity of the rockery and gardens surrounding the pond. The donated compost has been used in several of the site’s themed areas including the Tropical Garden, Stumpery, Stairway to Heaven, Flowery Dell and Spring Garden.

Wayne Hancock, Chairman of The Friends of Coy Pond, said: “We’re very grateful to Eco Sustainable Solutions for such a generous donation.”

Eco’s Marketing Executive Bryony-Mai Hammond said the company wanted to give something back to the community as a thank you for three decades of support.

Since it began trading in 1995, Eco has recycled more than 4.3 million tonnes of organic material, preventing over 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

The company employs 53 people across its sites at Parley, Piddlehinton and Weymouth, and is currently building a new Anaerobic Digestion facility at Parley Eco Park which will generate enough energy to heat more than 7,000 homes.

Picture caption: Eco’s Bryony Mai-Hammond with (left to right) John Hallett, Wayne Hancock and Al Hester. Picture: Andrew Diprose.