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Title: Marshall Barclay wins prestigious award Author: DMBC  ID & Publication: 20121211013 ~ The-Villager.co.uk  Area: Doncaster  Subject: Community News

Marshall Barclay, volunteer with the Friends of Sandall Park was named Young Ambassador of Year at the annual Keep Britain Tidy Network Conference.

The awards which recognise and reward the fantastic work of individuals and organisations who strive for cleaner, greener environments, honoured Marshall, 22, who has autism and learning difficulties, for his tireless commitment to transforming a patch of land within the park from a derelict, overgrown area into a beautiful brightly coloured flowerbed now fondly known as ‘Marshall’s Garden’.

Marshall has spent hundreds of hours over the past year transforming the land close to the entrance of the park with planting designed to increase the biodiversity of the area after researching which plants will grow best in the area and make the greatest contribution to encouraging wildlife.

His work on the area has been so well received by park users that he has been given the opportunity to work on other areas of the park including a Jubilee Garden area where he used hollowed out logs to make a rockery with a range of alpine plants. He has also helped with other jobs around the park including litter picking and joining in with charity fund raising events which have been held within the park.

Councillor Cynthia Ransome, Cabinet Member Communities; Street Scene; Environmental Protection; Waste and Recycling, said: ‘This was a very well-deserved win.

‘Marshall spends at least one day a week working at the park across all seasons and he is popular with regular visitors to the park, many of whom make a point of stopping to chat to Marshall and his mother Wendy when they see them tending his garden.’

Phil Barton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, added: ‘Congratulations to Marshall for winning the Young Ambassador of the Year award. He should be extremely proud of his hard work, which has resulted in a very special garden in Sandall Park. His passion and enthusiasm is an inspiration to us all.’

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