Hanwell based 'The Dig' nominated for £50,000 prize

Green and Clean - a social enterprise with over a decade of experience in training and employing people with learning disabilities in Ealing – has been nominated for a People’s Millions award for its new project, “The Dig”.

The People's Millions is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV, where the public help decide via a phone vote which local community projects get Lottery funding. Green and Clean will be going head-to-head with another project on the ITV London Local news at 6.00pm on Tuesday November 26th and they are asking for everyone’s help by voting for The Dig that evening. Winning the People’s Millions will earn The Dig £50,000 of funding that will offer a community focussed gardening, training and employment project.

The Dig is based in Hanwell and will offer people with learning disabilities, as well as people with more profound physical disabilities, the opportunity to engage in Open College Network accredited horticulture training programmes and associated meaningful work experience.

The Dig will also offer “Dig Boxes” packed with fresh, naturally-grown fruit and vegetables to vulnerable members of the local community, who have been identified by other charities in the area. Green and Clean already offers gardening services to elderly people in Ealing, and this service will expand if The Dig is successful in the People’s Millions vote.

Adrian Ford, Green and Clean Coordinator, said:

“The Dig is a really positive project, that has benefits for people with disabilities, the elderly, and vulnerable people in Ealing. We work every day with people who don’t want to be on benefits forever, they want to make their own choices and make their own way in life. The Dig is here to offer the chance for people with learning and more severe disabilities to gain new skills and take part in opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise come their way.”

“We’re asking everyone to really get behind us and show their support by picking up the phone on the 26th November and voting for The Dig. There’s so much positivity in what we’re trying to achieve for the local community that we think it’ll be hard for you to not know someone that The Dig has reached out to and supported in some way. A neighbour, a friend, an elderly relative, we’re looking to help as many as we can.”

Green and Clean has already gained support from Action Acton (the operators of Acton Market), The Fox pub in Hanwell, and the West Ealing Leeland Road Farmer’s Market, who are all in the vicinity of The Dig and are looking to work in partnership with the distribution of The Dig’s naturally-grown produce.

The phone number to vote for The Dig will not be revealed until the day of the vote, and will be featured in the 26th November edition of the Daily Mirror and online at www.greenandclean.org.uk, www.ealingmencap.org.uk and www.peoplesmillions.org.uk.

November 5th 2013