How Glee Birmingham's 2023 Prize Winner, Pengelly Garden Centre, is Cultivating School Gardens
Pengelly Garden Centre’s Sarah Daniel, the fortunate winner of Glee’s £1,000 registration incentive at the 2023 show, has embraced her prize in a unique and community-focused way. Hailing from Cornwall, Sarah wasted no time channelling the funds into a project close to her heart: bringing gardening to local schools.
From humble beginnings in 1993, Pengelly Garden Centre, owned by Sarah, embarked on a remarkable journey. Initially blessed with a plot of land and five second-hand tunnels, Sarah’s journey involved learning from mistakes and adapting to the evolving needs of the community.
As the shop grew, old tunnels were replaced with purpose-built structures, creating an inspiring space for customers. Today, Pengelly Garden Centre stands as a flourishing hub, stocking thousands of plants from both traditional and exotic varieties.
Fast forward to 2023, and Sarah’s win has brought a new chapter to Pengelly Garden Centre’s story. We caught up with her to see how she has been doing since the win.
Sarah Daniel in a Q&A:
Q: How has winning Glee’s incentive impacted your journey at Glee 2023?
A: Winning Glee’s incentive was a superb way to begin my time at Glee 2023. I knew right away that I wanted to use the money towards Zest’s GYO products, and it’s just superb that they have been able to top up the ‘win’ with their very generous donation.
Q: How do you see the project shaping up in the long run?
A: The products have already been put to good use, not only within the schools themselves but also to further fund the long-term vision for the project. Our selected schools are already fully engaged, with our autumn workshop set to build upon this. It will be great to introduce children to growing, to let them understand where their food comes from and possible cultivate some more interest in our industry for future generations to come on board, either working with us, shopping in our stores or doing their own gardens. It’s crucial that we get involved, as the children in our schools are the futures of all our businesses.
Sarah’s commitment to community and gardening aligns seamlessly with Pengelly’s ethos, reflecting not just a business but a passionate journey that started with tiny beginnings and has evolved into a thriving and expansive venture.
To find out more about Pengelly Garden Centre and to follow their school gardening project, visit their website or join the team on Facebook.