Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) has won big at the Making Birmingham Greener and Healthier Awards, taking home the gong for Best Greener and Healthier Lifestyles (Food) Scheme for the hospitals Community Orchard and Gardens project.

Birmingham City Council, in partnership with environmental company Veolia, invited schools, colleges, universities, businesses and hospitals, as well as community groups and growing projects - to become Birmingham’s next “green” champions through a 2015 edition of a revamped awards that replace Birmingham’s Sustainability and Recycling Awards.

The Community Orchard and Garden’s has seen an incredible amount of activity over the past year with over 1,000 trees planted, and almost 200 British apple, pear, damson and plum trees being planted by teams of volunteers.

At the same time, a new raised food growing area has been created, with much of the work completed in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, through the Health for Life programme, which has supported the project from the beginning.

The Health for Life programme is a five year programme for south Birmingham which promotes healthy lifestyles, such as green gym sessions, and also helps to create and develop community allotments and food growing spaces. It is funded by the Mondelēz International Foundation, supporting the community around the company’s manufacturing site at Bournville.

QEHB placed first in the business sub-category for the award, which also honoured entries from community and education establishments.

Antony Cobley, health and wellbeing lead at QEHB, said: “This is another fantastic achievement for the project which has grown from strength to strength in such a short space of time.

“In the past year we have brought 50,000 honey bees to the hospital site to pollinate a wildflower meadow, and our orchard of fruit trees, as well as delivering a food bank which has supported local people in crisis with the equivalent of 870 meals.

“I am again immensely proud of this award and look forward to the future.”

Chris Blythe, Health for Life programme manager said: “We are delighted to support the work at QEHB by giving people opportunities to get more involved in growing their own food and to pursue healthier lifestyles.”

12 winners and one overall winner were judged to have completely embraced the ethos of the awards and were announced at a grand ceremony that took place in the Banqueting Suite at the Birmingham City Council House in Victoria Square.

The judging panel was made up of representatives from different council departments such as Public Health; the Smarter Choices travel team, Climate Change and Environment as well as external partners including environmental company, Veolia.

If you would like to volunteer and get involved, visit the orchard page on the website (see below).