Carrickfergus Borough has scooped two Silver Gilt awards at the 50th Britain in Bloom UK Final awards in Bristol. Britain in Bloom is Europe’s biggest community gardening campaign run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Carrickfergus was successful in the Large Town category and Whitehead scooped another Silver Gilt in the Small Town category.
Stephen Daye, Parks and Countryside Development Officer who attended the ceremony which was held at the Bristol Marriott City Centre and was attended by almost 400 community gardening champions, said “This is a wonderful accolade for the Borough. It is the result of much hard work and no-one should underestimate the amount of effort which has gone into this campaign by all our partners. Our Borough's successes could not have happened without the generous support of local people, businesses and schools; and statuary bodies such as Carrickfergus Borough Council, the Housing Executive and Department of Regional Development.”
Bill Pollock, Chairperson of Brighter Whitehead who also attended the ceremony said “Britain in Bloom is a magnificent opportunity for Whitehead to enhance its surroundings and create beautiful displays that are enjoyed by everybody. Our ‘in bloom’ campaign is much more than flowers and making the town look good for one day; instead it is a 365 day initiative that looks at sustainable development and biodiversity, conservation and recycling, local environmental quality, permanent landscaping, and public awareness of the environment. I would encourage everybody interested in our campaign to visit the Brighter Whitehead website (www.brighterwhitehead.co.uk) for further details on our campaign and how you can help us next year.
Commenting on Carrickfergus in Bloom’s efforts, RHS judges Brendan Mowforth & Mark Wasilewski said: ‘An evident community spirit has been fostered and is well supported by the strong relationship with and support from Carrickfergus Borough Council. There is a very strong emphasis on biodiversity, health and well-being, and the Brighter Whitehead Group works actively in fostering cohesion across all sections of the town.”
The RHS Britain in Bloom awards are a chance to celebrate the work of dedicated volunteers across the UK, of which there are up to 300,000, and to recognise achievement, innovation and a commitment to keeping our villages, towns and cities clean, green and thriving.
Bloom volunteers collectively invest nearly 11 million hours every year into local Bloom activities, which equates to almost £70 million at the National Minimum Wage. It is hoped that the transformation of community spaces championed at the RHS Britain in Bloom awards ceremony will encourage even more people to get involved and help continue to make a positive difference over the next 50 years.
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