A Balham children's centre has won an environment grant for its garden from the Nescafe Kids' Clubs Challenge.

The Latchkey Project is part of Balham Family Centre in Bedford Hill.

It received the grant after submitting its entry into the Kids Club Challenge for an environmental project that will make a difference to the lives of people in the community.

The Latchkey Project won the grant for its garden scheme which was set up in 1996. It is a self-financed scheme which relies on money from the sale of plants grown from cuttings. Vegetables grown in the garden are also used by the centre's cooks.

The garden was selected by the Kids Club Challenge because of the way it improves the environment around the club.

The project has used the grant to buy a greenhouse, gardening tools and equipment.

Debbie Laphan, a playworker from the centre, said: "Before we decided to make the garden it was just a patch of muddy ground.

"It has sometimes been slow going but it has been wellworth it."

She added: "Now we have bought the greenhouse, the children will be able to use the garden all the year round rather than just in the summer."

The Latchkey project and Balham Family Centre provide a place for children to go to after school if their parents are at work and cannot look after them.