Zoe Ball unveils 'amazing' Big Bee Challenge garden at Doncaster hospital live on Radio 2

The popular presenter was in town to officially unveil the winner of the station’s Big Bee Challenge garden contest and was joined for the live outside broadcast at St Catherine’s Hospital in Balby by 10-year-old Izabella Zogaj, the garden’s designer.

She said: “It is wonderful to be in Donny. Everyone has been so friendly, Donny is amazing and this garden is amazing.

"We’ve all had a really tough year and this is a perfect way to help people cope with their mental health. It’s magical, it is really inspired me and it has been an emotional day.

"Izabella has such an incredible talent, she’s amazing. We’re all so proud of you and it has been great to be in Doncaster.

"Just gotta say, love you people of Donny!”

Also in attendance for the grand unveiling were singer Ella Henderson, travel presenter Richie Anderson, TV priest Kate Bottley and Blue Peter host Richie Driss.

Coming live for three hours from the Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust site at Tickhill Road, the show was the finale of the contest which encouraged children aged 6-12 to design a bee friendly garden.

BBC Gardener’s World favourite Adam Frost was tasked with turning the design into reality, with a team of gardeners transforming a patch of grass and working around the clock to create a tranquil new garden, complete with pond, flower borders, seating areas and a potting shed.

The added surprise for Izabella came when Blue Peter host Richie Driss presented her with a Green Blue Peter badge live on air.

The badge is awarded in recognition of children who complete three pledges to show they care about and help the environment.

And Zoe herself was also surprised and presented with the Blue Peter environmental award for leading the Big Bee Challenge, inspiring kids to think about bees and encourage them to do what they can to help create a better environment for pollinators.

Other guests on the show included Dr Bee – aka biologist Professor Dave Goulson and Christina Harrison, director for the Children’s Care Group at RDaSH.

Adam said: “The design is brilliant, it's got everything a bee could dream of - meadow areas, wild flowers, all sorts of bee-friendly flowers, it's got flowering trees and a little veggie patch. One of the lovely touches in there is the sedum green roof on the potting shed.”

“I've just walked into this wonderful garden and got goosebumps. The guys have done an incredible job in putting it together.”

“They've built a real garden that I think will offer so much to the young people over the years. I'm getting goosebumps again just talking about it. It's a bit mind-blowing really.”

Christina Harrison, Director for the Children’s Care Group, said: “The garden is medication without a prescription.

“The staff have been feeding back and saying 'I'm going to have a break, I'm going to take time to sit in that garden and reflect in there, much more than I expected.'

"But what I'd really like is that when children come in for an appointment, to come in for our services, they'll come in and say: 'Wow - we love it here, we like to come here.’

"Sometimes coming for a clinical assessment can be a little bit daunting, but coming into this garden and the way it's been designed with the seating, it's fantastic.'

"We’re going to send Izabella pictures of how the garden is developing and she can come and see it any time she wants.”

A clearly overwhelmed Izabella, who drove up from Hampshire with her family for the unveiling, was asked to describe the garden in three words and told Zoe: “Calm, happy, beautiful.”

Her proud mum Teresa said: “I was just amazed because she's 10 and then I’d seen the reams of paper we'd been through and all those that were scrunched up and put on the floor and then she came with one she was happy with, I was just a bit relieved actually!'

"It's just been a bit surreal really. We just weren't expecting anything. I’m so proud of her.

"She loves the garden, she’s so proud of it. She loves gardening and designing and drawing – she can always help out with the weeding at home!”

Zoe sported a specially made bee-like yellow, green and navy jumpsuit, designed and made by RAPH AËL, a finalist in this year's Great British Sewing Bee, who says: “I found it really encouraging to hear so many young people taking up the challenge to design bee-friendly gardens - it got me inspired to get involved and contribute. I put together something unique for Zoe, to reflect on the needs of the bees and she was kind enough to let me go wild!

'I made a jumpsuit from leftover fabric that hadn’t been used. I dyed it yellow and green and navy and hand-dyed a hexagonal motif across it to signify beehives. The hexagons are faded and slightly distressed in reference to the loss of our bees' natural habitats which everyone entering the big bee challenge is helping to tackle!”

You can listen to the full show HERE

Photos: BBC