Leading sight loss charity RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) has landed three medals at a prestigious Norfolk flower show with a garden championing the power of storytelling.
The imaginative design of the RNIB Talking Books Garden caught the eye of judges and was awarded a gold medal as well as Best Show Garden and Best Construction Award at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show which concluded on Sunday, 26 July.
The garden’s theme marked the 90th anniversary of service which makes thousands of works of fiction and non-fiction available to blind and partially sighted people in accessible formats.
Audio excerpts from leading authors from the Talking Books collection were also played for visitors to the garden including Richard Osman, Lynda La Plante, Bill Bryson and RNIB ambassador Lucy Edwards.
The design featured curved shingle walls to create a comforting and peaceful space and ladders reaching skywards also helped to evoke memories of childhood visits to libraries and the world of stories that lay tantalisingly out of reach on the upper shelves.
Judges praised the garden for the “atmospheric space” it created with “naturalistic planting and…nods to library spaces.”
The brief for the garden was brought to life by award-winning designer Paul Hervey-Brookes, who previously worked with RNIB on an award-winning garden at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse last year.
In addition to celebrating RNIB Talking Books, it also provided an opportunity to talk to visitors over the five days of the show about the incredible impact that gifts left in Wills have on RNIB’s work.
The garden has been made possible thanks to the support of Postcode Lottery players, who have raised more than £15m since 2018 to strengthen RNIB’s work removing barriers faced by blind and partially sighted people.
Helen Smith, Head of Supporter Experience at RNIB, said: “We’re delighted that the RNIB Talking Books Garden has captured the imagination of so many people at RHS Sandringham. The response to the garden is a reminder that stories have a unique ability to bring comfort, spark memories and create meaningful connections. As the judges noted, it is ‘a highly accomplished garden’ that beautifully tells the history of RNIB Talking Books, and we’re privileged to have shared a story that continues to open up the joy of reading for blind and partially sighted people every day.”
The free Talking Books service provides access to more than 54,000 fiction and non-fiction books for adults and children in accessible formats including by digital download, through an Alexa-enabled device, Daisy CD or USB. For more information about getting started with Talking Books visit the RNIB website or call the Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
