An anniversary garden paying homage to the Fens’ sugar beet industry has been created by volunteers in Whittlesey thanks to £4,000 of community funding.

Cambs Times: The finished beet cutter bed.The finished beet cutter bed. (Image: Archant)

Members of Whittlesey Street Pride created the beet-cutter themed garden on the corner of Grosvenor Road to help celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary.

The project was made possible after Tesco shoppers voted for the group to receive the maximum possible grant from the supermarket’s community grant scheme, Bags of Help.

The garden features a raised flower bed and a beet-cutter feature, as well as apple trees to the side.

Cambs Times: Whittlesey Street Pride volunteers start work on the raised bed.Whittlesey Street Pride volunteers start work on the raised bed. (Image: Archant)

Fred Mills, chairman of Whittlesey Street Pride, said: “We wanted to create something special to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

“Thanks to Tesco, and members of the local community who voted for us, we’ve been able to create a wonderful feature in the town which I hope will enjoyed by many for several years to come.”

Councillor Peter Murphy, portfolio holder for the environment at Fenland District Council, which co-ordinates Fenland’s 15 Street Pride groups, said: “The Bags of Help scheme sees local people decide how money should be spent in the community, so it’s great to see them support Street Pride and recognise the work volunteers do in their area.”

Run with environmental charity Groundwork, Bags of Help uses funds raised from the sale of carrier bags to award grants to thousands of local community projects every year.

Since launching in 2015, the scheme has provided more than £48 million to over 13,000 local community projects.