Giant Sunflower Wins Belmayne Charity Competition

The independent firm’s Summer of Sunflowers competition saw nurseries from across north Derbyshire compete to cultivate the tallest sunflower, with the support of local businesses.

The winning entry, measuring 7ft 7in, was grown by Darcy Davis of Kids Planet in Newbould, Chesterfield. The nursery will be now be enjoying a visit from a children’s entertainer, courtesy of Belmayne and is the proud owner of the Summer of Sunflowers trophy.

Gardening sets were donated to the top three entrants by Ferndale Garden Centre in Coal Aston, who also provided peat-free compost. The runners up were Kids Planet, Sheepbridge, whose tallest sunflower measured 7ft 4in and Dronfield Nursery, who managed to grow their largest specimen to 5ft 10in.

All of the money raised through the initiative is being shared equally between the two charities supported by the Belmayne Foundation this year. They are, Chesterfield’s Fairplay, which works to improve the lives of children and young people with disabilities and the Just Good Friends Club, who organise social activities to boost the confidence of adults with learning disabilities.

Ben Smalley, Belmayne partner and foundation trustee, said: “Our heartfelt thanks go to all of the nurseries and corporate sponsors who have taken the time and effort to participate in our Summer of Sunflowers competition. We hope the children enjoyed watching the sunflowers grow and we congratulate Darcy on nurturing such an impressive specimen! Involving the community in our fundraising efforts has been a hugely rewarding experience and we are very pleased it has been so well received.”

Since its launch in 2019, the Belmayne Foundation has donated more than £33,000 to registered charities that support health and wellbeing and provide relief to those in need. For more information, telephone (01246) 298181 or visit: www.belmayne-ifa.com/charity