Two unique wheelbarrow garden displays, designed by Birmingham school children, have been awarded ‘Best in Show’ for their showstopping designs, at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live.
St Martin De Porres Catholic Primary School in Moseley and Erdington Academy were voted the winners of Health For Life®’s School Wheelbarrow Competition in the Primary School and Secondary School categories respectively. An annual feature of the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Show, the competition involved 44 primary schools from across the region encouraging schools and children to showcase their creativity by transforming wheelbarrows into vibrant visual displays of living fruit, vegetable, herbs and floral plants.
Complementing the BBC Gardeners’ World 2026 campaign, ‘Make a Metre Matter’, children were encouraged to ‘Make a Meal Matter’, exploring where the ingredients in their favourite meals come from by growing from seed, helping to build an understanding of sustainability and food provenance. The winning wheelbarrows were selected by an esteemed panel of gardening expert judges at the event, including, BBC Newsround presenter and allotment enthusiast, De-Graft Mensah, a leading promoter of the BBC ‘Make a Metre Matter’ campaign.
The winning Primary School Wheelbarrow, designed by St Martin De Porres Catholic Primary School and named after Birmingham’s famous dish, ‘Brum’s Balti Barrow’ featured home-grown ingredients for a homemade Balti curry dinner, including ginger, turmeric, tomatoes, onions and chillis. The wheelbarrow also incorporated wheat to represent naan bread, and mint for a yoghurt dip, all of which were grown from seed or tubers in the school greenhouse.
Meanwhile, Erdington Academy impressed the judges in the Secondary School category with their ‘Afternoon Tea’ design, which incorporated the smells, tastes and colours of a classic British afternoon tea, including mint, lemon balm, chamomile and alpine strawberries.
Alongside the primary and secondary categories, Somerville Primary School in Small Heath received the ‘Judge’s Choice’ award for their trolley display, a specialist category, introduced this year for six previous school barrow winners. Oasis Academy Hobmoor in Yardley and Allens Croft Nursery in Lifford were selected as favourites by members of the public for their vibrant and innovative displays.
This year’s competition saw 12492 public votes cast from across the four-day event, with visitors viewing a total of 50 different displays from participating schools.
The annual wheelbarrow contest is a feature of Health for Life®, an award-winning, evidence-based partnership programme which promotes fun activities that engage people in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery. Funded by Mondelēz International, since 2011, it is delivered through schools and to the wider community in Birmingham by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Services For Education.
S. Stephens from St Martin De Porres Catholic Primary School said: “We are delighted to hear the news that our students won this year’s wheelbarrow competition for their ‘Brum’s Balti Barrow’ design.
“Our students have worked incredibly hard to grow the food from scratch and have learned a lot from the growing experience, so it is wonderful to see their efforts recognised.”
J. Halstead from Erdington Academy said: “Our students fully embraced the challenge of creating an ‘Afternoon Tea’ themed wheelbarrow, showing great imagination and teamwork throughout the project. They enjoyed every stage of the process, from developing their ideas to seeing the finished design come together. This recognition is a fitting reward for their creativity and commitment.”
Kelly Farrell, Community Affairs Manager at Mondelēz International, added: “Every year, we look forward to seeing the wonderful wheelbarrows designed by local Birmingham school children as part of our Health for Life initiative.
“This years’ entrants have been no exception – delivering an amazing showcase of creativity and execution of incredible gardening skills. We would like to congratulate the winning schools, as well as all the children who took part, for their fantastic work and enthusiasm.”
For more information about Health for Life, visit www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/health-for-life/.