A CHARITY has made it onto a shortlist to be rewarded for their excellent efforts in a leading gardening competition.

Brighton Women’s Refuge is in with a chance of winning a £5,000 garden makeover as part of Higgidy’s Seeds of Joy competition.

Three winners will be chosen from the final ten contenders on January 25.

If the charity were to win, it said it would put it the prize money towards the cost of their community vegetable garden.

TV Horticulturalist Frances Tophill who is leading the search, is offering each winner the benefit of her expert advice and supporting them in how to best use the money to turn their nominated patch into a vibrant vegetable garden.

She said: “Through this competition I hope to inspire people to pick up a spade and celebrate the glory of growing vegetables.

“I’m really excited to work with the three winning teams when they are chosen to help them bring their vision to life in how they want their community garden to look wonderful.”

The ten shortlisted projects range from schools and churches, to community groups and refuges situated right across the United Kingdom.