Yorkshire’s blooming lovely

If you are connected to a group or business that enters Yorkshire in Bloom, then you will know that last Tuesday, Sept 8 was results day. The awards ceremony took place at York Racecourse with over 350 guests. It’s always a good day and a great way of bringing so many ‘Bloomers’ together for an important social gathering. Of course keeping Yorkshire looking good is no easy task and it is thanks to the many volunteer groups and businesses that take part in the annual Yorkshire in Bloom competition that help to keep Yorkshire’s towns, villages, coastal resorts, cities, local communities and schools looking great! Yorkshire in Bloom is part of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign that has been running for over 50 years and its aim is to encourage communities of all sizes to make positive and lasting improvements to their local environment. Traditionally ‘In Bloom’ groups planted lots of colourful bedding plants and hanging baskets for the wow factor, and although this is still a very important part of the competition, it now goes much deeper. Environmental issues play a major role as part of ‘In Bloom’ and include recycling, composting, water harvesting, sustainable planting, litter, wildlife habitat and of course working in the community with schools and other groups.

One category in Yorkshire in Bloom that has seen significant growth over the past two years is ‘Open spaces’. The number of entries has increased by 100 per cent in 2015 and it is hoped that numbers will continue to rise in this new and popular category which is open to ‘Friends’ groups and volunteer organisations that help to maintain public and open spaces, both large and small. Entries in this category are involved with maintaining or developing areas within an existing large park, a pocket park, cemetery, wildlife area or any open space that the public can enjoy.

Yorkshire in Bloom also award Community Champions each year to individuals who have contributed to their community. This year a Community Champion award has been given to Michael Anderson from Old Earth School in Elland for his hard work and dedication over the past 11 years in introducing and developing the gardens at the school. This is not the first award for the Anderson family as in 2012 his mum, Brenda Anderson was also given a Community Champion award for her work with Ripon in Bloom. This is the first time a mother and son have been honoured with this prestigious award. Work is now underway in planning for the 2016 competition. If you are part of a community group and would like to be involved in Yorkshire in Bloom, visit www.yorkshireinbloom.co.uk