Picture shows Prison Officer Bob Winter from HMP Wandsworth with children at the Great Garden Tool Giveaway last autumn.

Gardeners were asked by The Garden Centre Group to trade in their old and broken gardening tools for new ones during February to help two charities.

5,800 tools were handed in over the fortnight of the Tool Amnesty at The Garden Centre Group's 119 centres all over the country.

Natalie Moulden, Events Manager for The Garden Centre Group, said: “It’s the third year we have run an appeal like this. We  gave anyone who brought in their old gardening tools during the Garden Tool Amnesty a 20% off voucher to redeem against any new gardening tools from our Fiskars, Yeoman or Joseph Bentley ranges.

“The initiative applied to tools such as trowels, spades, hand and garden forks, hoes, good old-fashioned garden rakes and lawn rakes, but not power tools, which are those powered by electricity or are petrol-driven. The old tools from our garden centres in England will be donated to The Conservation Foundation’s ‘Tools Shed’ initiative and those from our four Welsh garden centres will be given to TFSR Cymru.”

The tools collected and donated to Tools Shed initiative will be repaired at a number of UK prisons including HMPs Wandsworth in London, Morton Hall in Lincolnshire, High Down in Surrey and Thorn Cross Young Offenders’ Institution near Warrington. The tools will be refurbished by prisoners contributing to their training and rehabilitation. The revamped tools are then given to schools and community groups for use in their gardens.

The Conservation Foundation’s Director, David Shreeve explained: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to link up with The Garden Centre Group for the second year running. Last year’s amnesty was a huge success with more than 2,000 tools being donated to Tools Shed.

“With more and more schools and community groups ‘growing their own’ there is a great demand for garden tools and rarely any budget. Tools Shed is a popular initiative that provides practical skills to prisoners, reduces waste and helps equip the next generation of gardeners.”

David added: “The main barrier to expanding the project has been getting a steady supply of tools and this Tool Amnesty with The Garden Centre Group presents us with a great opportunity to take Tools Shed to other parts of the country.”