Northampton wins Silver Gilt Award in East Midlands in Bloom competition
Northampton town is celebrating after winning a Silver Gilt Award in this year’s East Midlands in Bloom competition. The result was recently announced during a ceremony at Grimsby Town Hall, recognising the collective efforts of local volunteers, community groups, schools, delivery partners and the Town Council.
Northampton Town Council, supported by delivery partners Veolia, IDeverde UK, West Northamptonshire Council and Northampton Town BID, entered the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) led competition for the first time since 2019, competing against other towns and cities in the region for a chance of recognition in one of the largest horticultural campaigns in Europe.
The town’s entry also won the Judges’ Award for the notable increase in the number of 'It's Your Neighbourhood' community gardening scheme participants, coordinated by Sandra Robinson of the Bees Be Happy project and encouraged through the Town Council's community engagement activities as part of preparations for this year's entry. 88 community groups received town council grant funding to support their community gardening schemes, with 22 of those groups actively involved in this year’s competition.
Cllr Andrew Kilbride, Chair of the Environmental Services Committee at Northampton Town Council, said: “We are absolutely over the moon to win a Silver Gilt Award in this year’s East Midlands in Bloom, especially as this is our first time entering the competition as the town council.
“Our officers, delivery partners and many dedicated community groups, organisations and volunteers worked so hard to on this year’s entry and this award recognises their enthusiasm and commitment to making Northampton town centre and the surrounding neighbourhoods a more attractive environment, rich with biodiversity.”
RHS Judges visited Northampton in July to review several hundred floral displays provided by the town council and a range of community planting projects across the town, which formed the competition entry. The projects assessed were:
- Formal planting at the All Saints’ Memorial Garden – West Northamptonshire Council
- Market Square refurbishment and landscaping – West Northamptonshire Council
- The Northampton Town and County Club – volunteer tended Garden
- 78 Derngate – volunteer tended garden
- St Giles’ Churchyard - the St Giles’ Community biodiversity project supported by the Northampton Town BID
- St Andrew’s Gardens and Workbridge - where patients volunteer in the garden centre
- Billing Road Cemetery - an abandoned municipal burial ground transformed into a beautiful park by the Friends group
- Bradlaugh Fields wildlife garden- tended by L.I.V.E team and Groundswork Green Team and West Northamptonshire Council’s Park Rangers
- Indian Hindu Welfare Organisation garden at Weston Favell Village Hall, cultivated by the Chai and Chat Ladies group
The town’s entry was scored in three categories of Horticultural Achievement, Environment and Community. On assessing horticultural achievement, judges were impressed by the colour theme of the town centre baskets and planters, which were inspired by this year’s 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton and also noted the introduction of perennial plants for sustainability.
The tidy state of St Giles’ Churchyard, managed by the St Giles’ Community and supported by Northampton Town BID was also commended, along with the excellent quality of the plants at the St Andrew’s Gardens and Workbridge.
In the environment category, judges applauded the progress made by volunteers at the Billing Road Cemetery to increase site biodiversity and attract visitor interest, and at Bradlaugh Fields, volunteers picked up marks for their composting, wildlife pond and rainwater harvesting projects. The use of peat free compost in 99% of town centre planters was also commended.
Finally in the community category, the volunteers’ work in the gardens at 78 Derngate was highlighted by judges for its inspirational design, and the support of Northampton College Students at St Giles’ Churchyard was hailed as a great partnership.
In their assessment report, RHS judges John Constable and Liz Fairfield, said: “There is a clear understanding of the importance of planting of all kinds in improving the environment for local people and visitors and for the benefit of the local economy, with great focus on developing this throughout the town for the long term.”
Many other community groups took part in this year’s entry and their projects are detailed in the supporting portfolio, which can be found on the town council’s website.
For more information, please visit: https://www.northamptontowncouncil.gov.uk/northampton-in-bloom or email: [email protected]