CDCED 2024 COMMUNITY GARDENS & BEAUTIFICATION FESTIVAL AWARD CEREMONY by Carol-Faye Bynoe-George
CDCED 2024 COMMUNITY GARDENS & BEAUTIFICATION FESTIVAL AWARD CEREMONY by Carol-Faye Bynoe-George
An enchanting evening in one of the best ambiences a venue could give, scrumptious dining, melodious music/entertainment and a great audience are some of the descriptions for the evening of Thursday 12th December 2024. What better way to bring closure and the perfect end to the 2024 Community Gardens and Beautification Festival? Despite some hurdles this year’s festival under the leadership and guidance of Miss Dale O’Brien/CDCED Director and Miss Tanya Williams/Co-ordinator was indeed a resounding success.
The Community Development and Citizens Engagement Division (CDCED) within the Ministry of Health, Social Transformation and the Department of Environment held its 2024 Award Ceremony at the Casa Palmadita located in Fitches Creek. The 2024 theme “Think Beautification for the Nation’s Health and Wealth” was a very appropriate, especially since our focus is on “Food Sovereignty and Security”.
This year’s competition officially launched in January has been in existence for many years however, the 2024 festival was the largest in recent times attracting approximately one hundred participants in several categories ranging from Residential, Business to Community. The Community category was newly added and was implemented to serve several reasons that would holistically demonstrate civic pride, teamwork and vision these spaces would be good examples to others to follow in taking better care of the environment and some if its biodiversity.
The variety of gardens that were judged twice during the year were Flowers, Fruits and Vegetables, Water, Stones, Herbs and Spices in five zones to include Barbuda.
Results of the Community Gardens & Beautification Festival 2024 Awardees
EAST ZONE – Residential
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Rhyves Knowles | Luna Park | 1st |
St.Claire Green | Seatons | 2nd |
Myra Josiah | Seatons | 3rd |
Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Rhyves Knowles | Luna Park | 1st |
Valerie Whyte | Willikies | 2nd |
Ireney Edawards | Paynter’s Court | 3rd |
Herbs and Spice Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Ireney Edwards | Paynter’s Court | 1st |
Rosita Edawards | Freetown | 2nd |
Kandia Williams | Paynter’s Crest | 3rd |
Stone/Ornamental Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Ireney Edwards | Paynter’s Court | 1st |
Marilyn Marsh | Pares | 2nd |
Business/Institution
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
St. Philips Anglican | St. Philips | 1st |
Best Kept Community
Name | Community | Position |
Fitches Creek Residents Association | Fitches Creek | 1st |
Freetown Community | Freetown | 2nd |
NORTH ZONE – Residential
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Birchfield Osborne | Mc Kinnons | 1st |
Edith Berridge | 2nd | |
Bernardo Rubio | Potters | 3rd |
Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Birchfield Osborne | Mc Kinnons | 1st |
Bernardo Rubio | Potters | 2nd |
Henry Harris | Skerrits Pasture | 3rd |
Herbs & Spice Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Bernardo Rubio | Potters | 1st |
Birchfield Osborne | Mc Kinnons | 2nd |
Henry Harris | Skerrits Pasture | 3rd |
Water Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Bernardo Rubio | Potters | 1st |
Rhonda Samuel | Langsford | 2nd |
Dwayne Reifer | Potters New extension | 3rd |
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Blue Waters | Blue Waters | 1st |
Ewen Vigo | Yorks | 2nd |
Best Kept Community
Name | Community | Position |
Mount Pleasant | Mount Pleasant | 1st |
WEST ZONE – Residential
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Joy Meade | Five Island | 1st |
Lois Lewis | Clarks Hill | 2nd |
Emelda Lewis | Herberts | 3rd |
Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Joy Meade | Five Island | 1st |
Lois Lewis | Clarks Hill | 2nd |
Andrea Martin | Bendals/Green Castle | 3rd |
Herbs & Spice Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Jennifer Joseph | Bendals | 1st |
Gwendolyn King | Bendals | 2nd |
Ruth Dyer | Buckleys | 3rd |
Stone/Ornamental Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Valerie Joseph | Buckleys | 1st |
Joy Meade | Five Islands | 2nd |
Aaron Hazelwood | Buckleys | 3rd |
Water Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Joy Meade | Five Islands | 1st |
Business/Institution- Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Indies Greens | Seaview Farm | 1st |
Green Appl Café | Five Islands | 2nd |
Dogs & Cats Antigua | Lightfoot | 3rd |
Business/Institution-Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Green Bay Primary School | Green Bay | 1st |
Business/Institution- Water Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Indies Greens | Seaview farm | 1st |
SOUTH ZONE – Residential
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Yvonne Matthew | Piccadilly | 1st |
Carol Lewis | Jonas Road | 2nd |
Margaret Browne | Old Road | 3rd |
Fruit and Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Yvonne Matthew | Piccadilly | 1st |
Margaret Browne | Old Road | 2nd |
Melicah Severin | 3rd |
SOUTH ZONE – Residential
Herbs & Spice Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Melicah Severin | Jonas Road | 1st |
Yvonne Matthew | Horsford Hill | 2nd |
Curtis Thomas | Follies Development | 3rd |
Stone/Ornamental Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Carol Lewis | Jonas Road | 1st |
Business/Institution- Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
11 Hour Sunshine Day Care & Pre School | English Harbor | 1st |
Old Road Primary | Old Road | 2nd |
Business/Institution- Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
11 Hour Sunshine Day Care & Pre School | English Harbor | 1st |
Old Road Primary | Old Road | 2nd |
BARBUDA – Residential
Flower Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Anthony Mapp | Barbuda | 1st |
Alaida Deazle | Barbuda | 2nd |
Cynthia Beazer | Barbuda | 3rd |
Fruit & Vegetable Garden
Name | Community | Position |
Jacklyn Beazer Desouza | Barbuda | 1st |
Anthony Mapp | Barbuda | 2nd |
Cynthia Beazer | Barbuda | 3rd |
Overall Winners
Overall Winner Residential/Home –Mrs. Joy Meade
Overall Winner Business/Institution – Indies Greens
Overall Winner Best Kept Community- Fitches Creek Residents Association
The Ministry of Agriculture through the years has been supporting this initiative and extends congratulations to the winners and encourage sponsors, supporters and others to participate in the upcoming Community Gardens and Beautification Festival.