Tarmac create bit of a buzz in Gateshead

New Swedish-inspired garden due to open this weekend thanks to a little help from Tarmac

GATESHEAD’s Swedish-designed Buzzing Garden is due to open its doors to the public today (Sunday 18 August). The project, a collaboration between the National Garden Scheme North East, Region Västra Götaland (West Sweden) and Gateshead Council, began in May, with help from main sponsors Tarmac.

As well as supporting with volunteering, Tarmac donated gravel, limestone boulders and whinstone walling stone from their Northumberland-based quarries, as well as bagged building sand and cement from their building products business.

The project has been funded by contributions from businesses and individuals who have given time, materials, resources and cash to make it happen.

John Riley, area director at Tarmac, said: ‘It’s been a pleasure to be involved in something so new and different. We’ve helped wherever we could – supplying materials, lending equipment and we’ve particularly valued the opportunity for our staff to volunteer on the site.

‘Supporting local communities is really important to Tarmac and this project has been an excellent way to make a real difference in the local area. We’ve had a number of team-building days at the site doing all sorts of practical jobs which has been really good fun as well as really rewarding. We hope visitors will enjoy the garden for a long time to come.’

Maureen Kesteven, National Garden Scheme county organizer for Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, and regional chairman for the North of England, led the project. She said: ‘This has been a fine example of collaboration to bring people together for something worthwhile.

‘It has been great to have so much support and so much interest from businesses and local people. A real demonstration of how gardening brings people together – and at the end of it, there’ll be something that the whole community can continue to enjoy as well as an attraction for visitors to our region.’