TO help mark the 10th anniversary at its Ferndown site, Haskins has joined forces with the Daily Echo to give away 10 English oak trees to deserving people in the area.

It's your chance to nominate people who have contributed to the local community or achieved something special over the last decade.

It could be someone who has raised thousands of pounds for charity or an organisation that particularly deserves an oak tree in their grounds. We'll leave it up to you to decide who you wish to nominate.

A judging panel will then select the 10 most deserving nominees and invite them to help plant their trees at their chosen locations.

Haskins managing director Angela Wiffen said: "We are delighted to team up with the Daily Echo to give away 10 wonderful oak trees to deserving causes as part of our 10th anniversary celebrations. It's a significant landmark for us and we look forward to the next 10 years.

"The English oak trees were chosen as a symbol of permanency, strength and hope which is very much how we see Haskins and our garden centre at Ferndown."

The £5 million Haskins centre at Ferndown opened its doors in March 1994 when the centre moved from its previous site at Tricketts Cross where it had begun trading since the 1960s. Prior to this the family business, established in 1882, was based at Coy Pond in Poole.

Haskins 10 acre Ferndown site, which has 560 car park spaces and a 230 seat restaurant, employs over 100 full and part time staff and houses the company's head office, and a HobbyCraft store which is owned by Haskins' sister company.

Haskins sells an extensive range of plants and garden equipment including garden furniture and water gardens. There is also a large pet department, and a popular cafe at the Ferndown centre in Ham Lane, Longham.

To nominate your local hero, write to Haskins Local Hero Search, Newsdesk, Daily Echo, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth BH2 6HH, by Thursday October 10.