A KEEN gardener from Gwent has joined more than 100 volunteers in winning a major award for learning.

Heritage Lottery-funded Parks for People project received a project award at the Inspire! Awards for its work at a South Wales visitor’s attraction.

Senior volunteer Angela Beacham, from Ebbw Vale, joined Parks for People after the breakdown of her marriage and redundancy.

After a year of volunteering, she now has her own garden maintenance business and has just helped the group receive recognition for three years of community projects.

The Inspire! Awards are hosted each year to celebrate the achievements of outstanding learners in Wales.

Parks for People encourages people to volunteer and learn horticulture and heritage skills, while helping to enhance Cyfarthfa Park in Merthyr Tydfil.

Ms Beacham, 55, a grandmother from Briery Hill who runs Gardening Thyme, said: “I decided to enrol on a propagating seeds course at Cyfartha Park and enjoyed it so much that I’ve since completed a higher level course in horticulture and have become a senior volunteer here at Cyfarthfa.

"I’ve now set up my own garden maintenance business where I help older people in their gardens. This learning opportunity has certainly given me a new lease of life.”

The Inspire! Awards were held on Thursday, June 11 at SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff.

For more information on Adult Learners’ Week, go to www.careerswales.com/skillsgateway, call 0800 028 4844 or follow @skillsgatewaycw