Birds, bees and trees will be focus of competition
Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling for communities across Perth and Kinross to register to take part in this year’s Beautiful Scotland awards.
The awards bring communities together to help deliver local environmental improvements and recognise efforts Scotland-wide to enhance local areas.
The competition, which this year will focus on birds, bees and trees, is run in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Its purpose is to bring communities together to help deliver local environmental improvements and recognise the efforts of volunteers across Scotland as they work hard to enhance local areas.
Beautiful Scotland celebrates and supports the achievements of entire villages, towns, cities, residential communities and Business Improvement Districts from across Scotland who help to improve the places they care for.
Smaller-scale projects such as community allotments, friends of parks groups, after-school clubs, and community gardens can celebrate too by entering the non-competitive It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign.
In 2016 Perth and Kinross had an exceptional year with six entrants, all of whom received Beautiful Scotland silver gilt or gold awards.
Blairgowrie and Rattray in Bloom, Kinnesswood in Bloom and Muthill in Bloom received silver gilt awards, while Brig in Bloom, Comrie in Colour and Coupar Angus Pride of Place all received gold.
And Keep Scotland Beautiful is now urging communities to come together and take part in the successful initiative which recognises the tireless efforts of volunteers to improve areas in which they live, work and play.
Rona McKinnon from Coupar Angus Pride of Place said: “Our aim is to restore civic pride through environmental improvements and social inclusion.
“The Beautiful Scotland campaign and the recognition of achievement has allowed the group to fulfil this aim.”
Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood give us the opportunity to reward the efforts of the amazing volunteers who work tirelessly year after year to ensure Scotland’s cities, towns, villages and local communities are maintained to excellent standards.
“Communities are doing their bit to keep local spaces in Perth and Kinross clean, green and beautiful and all too often these efforts are overlooked.
“Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood are an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of thousands of volunteers who enhance the areas they live in, and are an opportunity to put their efforts in the national
The Comrie Croft team show off their well-earned Thistle Award Environmental group Coupar Angus Pride of Place’s volunteers make a big difference in their area
spotlight.”
Online registration for the Beautiful Scotland awards and for It’s Your Neighbourhood is now open and further details can be found at www. keepscotlandbeautiful. org/beautifulscotland / www. keepscotlandbeautiful. org/IYN