Preston’s Donna Rowe-Green up for national entrepreneur award

Donna needs your help to win the funding for Dig In North West

One of the driving forces behind a garden for former military personnel is in the running for a national award.

Donna Rowe-Green is on the shortlist for the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneur of the Year award.

She founded Dig In North West which provides peer-support to military veterans in Preston and beyond.

Ashton Park’s former greenhouses have become a haven for those wanting to learn gardening, carpentry and other skills.

Donna said: “Being part of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs programme, in partnership with School for Social Entrepreneurs, has allowed me to focus on increasing the social impact of Dig In North West and having the opportunity to learn from fellow social entrepreneurs and experts in the field, has been greatly beneficial, and as well as receiving insightful guidance of my Lloyds Bank business mentor.

“Winning the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award would be an amazing achievement and would allow us to expand the social outreach of Dig In North West and develop a retail unit to sell produce and items created by the veterans to maintain the sustainability of the enterprise.”

Donna Rowe-Green who showed us round the project

Donna Rowe-Green in the garden for military veterans

A prize of £10,000 is on offer, with £6,000 and £4,000 to runners-up – and Donna’s on a shortlist of five and needs Preston to go and vote for her.

Head of the Social Entrepreneurs Enterprise Programme at Lloyds Banking Group Paula Rogers said: “This year’s shortlist for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2016 demonstrates the real diversity and creativity of the social entrepreneurs being supported through the Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme.

“It is amazing to be able to witness, first hand, the significant impact they are making in their local communities. Through our Helping Britain Prosper Plan we recognise that social enterprise is a key way to create sustainable social change as well as helping to stimulate economic growth and regeneration across the UK. All of those short listed are already winners in their own right but, like them, I await the final result with immense excitement.”