Blooming Bury gets it right – for the 14th time!

Bury has scooped yet another gold award and won North West Britain in Bloom’s Best Small City category for the 14^th year in a row, thanks to an all round community effort.

Radcliffe also clinched a silver-gilt award for the third year running in the Best Large Town category.

It’s Your Neighbourhood awards were also given to:

• Stock Street (Outstanding)
• Red Bank Extra Care Scheme (Outstanding)
• Eden Gardens Allotment (Outstanding)
• Abbey Close TRA (Thriving)
• Diggle Lane Allotments (Thriving)

The awards were announced at a ceremony in Southport on Friday 3 November.

To retain the winning title, Bury beat off stiff competition from neighbouring Rochdale and also Chorley and Middleton. Radcliffe was pipped at the post by Congleton who have held a strong position in the competition for a number of years.

The regional results follow the outcome of the national Britain in Bloom awards in which Bury represented the North West region this year. In the nationals, Bury achieved a silver gilt and the Overcoming Adversity Award.

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Our track record in Britain in Bloom and Britain in Bloom North West make me incredibly proud to belong to this borough.

“Bury in Bloom is a long-standing successful campaign resulting from afantastic community effort. My congratulations go to everyone that has helped make this happen - the workforce, community groups, hands-on volunteers, schools and local businesses. To keep on winning such prestigious awards for Bury and for Radcliffe really is a culmination of many years’ hard work.

“Thanks to their efforts, and sponsorship from the likes of Summerseat and Newbank garden centres, our annual ‘In Bloom’ campaigns are helping to increase civic pride and boost the local economy and they’re almost cost neutral to the council.

“We know a quality environment is important to everyone, everywhere, and our ‘in bloom’ campaigns help put our borough on the map. Together we can keep a good thing going and keep Bury up there with the very best!”

Judges from Britain in Bloom North West visited Bury and Radcliffe on 11 July. On this year’s results judges commented:

“Radcliffe has its own unique identity and as part of this its very own enthusiastic ‘in bloom’ group. Overall the environmental quality was excellent and a credit to the street scene team and the volunteers.

“Upon entering Bury there is no doubt that this is a ‘bloom’ entry. Theimaginative horticultural displays celebrating local heritage all tell a story and are really interesting to look at.

“The approach to partnership working with voluntary groups and other organisations, together with the involvement of the local business community, is paying dividends in these difficult financial times and helping to ensure continued success.

“You have much to be proud of in Bury and in Radcliffe and you are to be congratulated on what has been achieved.”

To get involved with Bury in Bloom or Radcliffe in Bloom, either as a hands-on volunteer or a sponsor, email parks.countryside@bury.gov.uk or phone 0161 253 5266.

ENDS

Press release issued: 28 November 2017.

Notes to editors:

1) The aims of North West in Bloom are to encourage local communities to improve and care for their local environment through imaginative planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping, conservation and recycling projects and to eliminate eyesores that blight our streets such as litter, graffiti and vandalism.

The competition is based on three RHS core themes:-

• Horticultural excellence
• Environmental responsibility
• Community participation

By taking part in the competition local communities can benefit from: an increase in civic pride, a long term improvement in their local environment, a boost to the local economy including regeneration of run down and disadvantaged areas as well as a boost to tourism.

In addition the competition stimulates volunteer work while addressing sustainability, recycling, waste minimisation and conservation issues.

Overall it promotes a tremendous sense of community and, above all, fun.
To see the different categories of the competition visit:

Britain in Bloom North West https://www.northwestinbloom.com/

Britain in Bloom North West awards https://www.northwestinbloom.com/2017bibawards

Britain in Bloom
https://www.rhs.org.uk/communities/campaigns/britain-in-bloom

Bury’s track record in Britain in Bloom and Britain in Bloom North West is as follows:

2017

Silver Gilt Award, Britain in Bloom | Overcoming Adversity Award

2016

Gold award and category winner, Britain in Bloom.

2015

Gold award and category winner, Britain in Bloom.

Gold award and Best small city, Britain in Bloom North West.

‘The best feature in a public place’ Britain in Bloom North West.

2014

Best large town and gold award Britain in Bloom North West | Environmental Quality Award | Britain in Bloom North West outstanding contribution award to Martin Dowding, head of grounds maintenance (Bury Council)

2013

Best large town in Britain in Bloom North West | Gold award Britain in Bloom

Environmental Responsibility Award, Britain in Bloom

2012

Best large town and gold award Britain in Bloom North West

Best town centre | The Environmental Award for local authorities

2011

Best large town and gold award Britain in Bloom North West

Silver Gilt Award, Britain in Bloom | RHS Floral Award, Britain in Bloom

2010

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West and Discretionary award for the best private front garden (Mr and Mrs Reid)

2009

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West | The Heritage Award

Local Roots Award

2008

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West | The Clean Sweep award

2007

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West | Environmental quality award

Silver achievement award (national contest)

2006

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West | Best feature in a public place

2005

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West | Best feature in a public place

Silver achievement award (national contest)

2004

Best large town Britain in Bloom North West | Best new landscape feature

Best Environmental Award for St Thomas’s School