Gardening groups up for awards
FIVE locations across Northern Ireland have been nominated for a new award celebrating community gardening across the UK.
Four community projects in Co Antrim — in Ballymena, Belfast, Cullybackey and Randalstown — alongside Donaghmore, Co Tyrone have been recognised in this year’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Community Awards.
The new virtual awards replace the RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals competition for 2021 for the first time in the campaign’s 57-year history. They will see Britain in Bloom groups recognised for their efforts to transform their local areas.
The UK’S biggest community gardening campaign involves around 3,500 community groups and hundreds of thousands of volunteers who work year-round to keep neighbourhoods and streets green, clean and thriving.
Last year, nine in every 10 groups carried on gardening, maintaining all-important green spaces and harnessing their skills to help others, from growing food to lifting people’s spirits via imaginative planting displays.
A total of 63 groups will participate across five categories having been nominated by one of the 16 Britain in Bloom UK regions and nations.
Groups will submit evidence digitally in up to three award categories to a panel of Bloom and RHS horticultural, wildlife and environmental experts.
Kay Clark, RHS Community
Development Manager, said: “We’ve been truly inspired by the creativity and ingenuity that volunteers have shown throughout the pandemic, supporting their communities while observing the social distancing rules.
“While we’re not able to run the Britain in Bloom UK Finals competition this year, the RHS Community Awards will shine a light on groups’ fantastic efforts during a challenging time.”
The results of the RHS Community Awards, including the most outstanding entries in each category, will be announced in late September.
For more information about RHS Britain in Bloom and to search for community gardening groups in your area visit https:// www.rhs.org.uk/communities/ find-a-group-search-form