JUDITH Heaphy, known as Minehead’s ’Plant Lady’, has been chosen as a regional finalist in this year’s Pride of Britain awards which ’celebrate the achievements of people who have made the world a better place’.

Judith raises money for local charities from the flowers and vegetable plants she sells from under awnings outside her cottage front door in Quay Street.

"I turned it down at first because I didn’t think I had done anything out of the ordinary," Judith said. "But I was persuaded to change my mind. I can’t imagine I will as get as far as the finals."

This week friends and customers have been backing Judith, whose roadside stall has raised over £20,000 for charity, to go all the way to the final.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by the Daily Mirror, ITV and the TSB bank, and introduced by Carol Vorderman, will be televised in November.

The four regional finalists will appear on lTV local news at 6pm next week on September 27, 28, 29, and 30. The winner will be announced on October 1 and will be at the star-studded event at London’s Grosvenor House.

Judith said that, after she had been nominated by customers, she was chosen as one of four regional finalists and visited by a TV camera crew who filmed customers and representatives of the charities: "Afterwards everyone was asking on Facebook what the TV cameras were doing in Minehead."

Business has been blooming for Judith since she became one of the area’s few sources of plants when garden centres closed during the pandemic: "Since the first lockdown things have gone crazy," said Judith, who has been selling plants for charity from her home for six years.

"It seemed that everyone suddenly realised the joy of gardening and I sold everything I could get my hands on.

"This year I have raised over £9,000 for three organisations - the radiography equipment charity SURE, HomeStart and Hope For Tomorrow’s Bumble Bus. They are vital services which need to be supported but my little garden is simply unable to keep up with the demand.

"Luckily, people are incredibly generous in donating all sorts of plants and I am able to borrow garden space and greenhouses from friends.

"What started as a hobby has become virtually a full-time job. At peak times I have been getting up to 30 customers a day, ranging from someone buying a couple of plants after a walk on the beach to somebody going off with a car-load.

"I make sure I observe personal distancing rules," said Judith, who has a degree in plant science. "I have never advertised. People hear about me from friends and many come back year after year. Plants have a wonderful way of cheering us up and nowadays we need all the help we can get!"