Our towns are today celebrating more success in the Britain In Bloom competition.
Last night, Cleethorpes scooped Gold and were announced as the winners of the Coastal (more than 12,000) category at the RHS UK Finals Awards ceremony for 2015, hosted by TV presenter and gardening expert James Alexander-Sinclair.
Meanwhile Grimsby scooped Silver-Gilt in the small city category, while Caistor scooped Silver-Gilt in the large village category.
More than 1,000 Bloom groups from across Britain were vying for the coveted awards, of these just 70 finalists were chosen to represent their region/nation in the UK Finals, with Cleethorpes representing the East Midlands.
Bob Callison, chairman of Cleethorpes In Bloom, said: “We are delighted with another fantastic result for Cleethorpes after scooping a Gold award and category winner.
“As the chairman of ‘In Bloom’ and ‘Team Cleethorpes’, we are very proud to receive this award on behalf of everyone in Cleethorpes, and we will proudly display it for all to see back in our home town.”
The Britain In Bloom with the RHS awards ceremony is a chance to celebrate the amazing work carried out by dedicated volunteers to recogniser innovation and a commitment to keeping the UK’s villages, towns and cities clean, green and beautiful.
The Britain In Bloom judging panel, headed by Roger Burnett, met with representatives of each finalist throughout the summer to assess each of the 70 Bloom campaigns against three key criteria: horticultural achievement, community participation and environmental responsibility. He said: “This has been a vintage year for Britain In Bloom with communities across the country coming together to create wonderful floral displays that benefit not just the individuals involved, but their communities and the wider environment.
“Thanks to the work of Britain In Bloom, our pollinators are better supported, once neglected areas of our towns, villages and cities are turning from grey to green, and communities are coming together with a shared purpose.
“The standard of entries this year has been incredibly high. It is an honour to recognise and celebrate the work these amazing people do to build stronger, healthier and happier communities through gardening.”
Elaine Atkinson, chair of Grimsby In Bloom, was delighted with their award.
“Whenever you are chosen to represent your region in the Britain In Bloom finals, it is a great achievement and shows the confidence the region has in your area,” she said.
“For Grimsby, this has meant that all the people we work with throughout our campaigns are recognised for their hard work and commitment to ‘In Bloom’ and not just those at the forefront.
“The experience gained from being part of this highly recognised campaign, is the working closely with others, bringing together ideas that have been mooted for a while and then put into practice and having highly experienced judges praise you for what you have achieved.”
Deborah Barker, chairman for Caistor In Bloom, added: “Entry to such a prestigious competition has really put Caistor on the national map.
“The publicity on becoming a Britain In Bloom finalist has really helped to inspire more volunteers and sponsors. Our progress in the competition is very encouraging.”