Stroke victim finds therapy in gardening

Alan Cox of Jarrow suffered a stroke in 2005 and found that gardening aided his therapy comma after his wife encouraged it as part of the recovery.

Mr Cox took the top prize at the awards which was a £50 B&Q voucher.

“Gardening was a therapy for me, and it has now become a labour of love. I am absolutely over the moon to have won the competition, and it all makes the work worthwhile,” he told the Shields Gazette.

Anne Brown and Margaret Mesie of South Shields won the second and third prizes respectively, winning £30 and £20 vouchers.

The Shoots of Success awards were held by the South Tyneside Homes and were open to all tenants and leaseholders across the borough.

Director of housing and service improvement for the housing company John Musson said that they felt it was important to recognise the efforts that tenants and leaseholders make to brighten up the community