Machen quarry’s ongoing support for Bedwas memorial garden

Our Machen quarry in Caerphilly, south Wales has recently donated additional stone and soil to the Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen community garden, named in honour of local war hero, Sergeant Michael Williams.

The garden, which was built on formerly unused land outside the Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen Council offices, was funded by a grant from Keep Wales Tidy in connection with Wilko. The community space includes wall murals, plant beds, fruit trees, bird boxes, information boards as well as an inscribed memorial gate.

Our support for the project began in 2021, when we provided a monument stone and two tonnes of ballast stone for the garden’s initial creation. Since then, the garden has become a community hub, hosting events and groups such as the Transport and Motor Day, volunteer gardening club and the newly formed Men’s Shed charity.

The most recent donation from our Machen quarry included three tonnes of walling stone and soil to build a retaining wall, which will divide the banking and planted areas.

Keep Wales Tidy have also awarded the volunteer-managed garden a Green Flag Community Award for 2024/25, the benchmark for parks and green spaces in the UK.

Nigel Bull, Councillor for Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen Council, said: “We are very grateful for the support received from Heidelberg Materials since the project’s inception. The garden and its surroundings have become a valuable asset for the community to share and spend special time in.”