- Stone in Bloom working group members and volunteers celebrate their latest success in Stonefield Park
Stone in Bloom won the best large town category in this year’s Heart of England in Bloom awards – and will now go on to compete in the national Britain in Bloom competition next year.
As well as winning a gold medal in the category, Stone beat Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Leamington, Malvern, Oswestry, Evesham and Biddulph to be named overall category winner.
It will be the first time that Stone in Bloom have made it to the national Britain in Bloom competition, a fantastic achievement for the working group and other volunteers.
Here’s a selection of the judges’ comments:
The Stone In Bloom group bursts with energy and enthusiasm which is infectious.
From the youngest nursery children presenting the judges with a welcome card to, at the conclusion of our tour, the most talented Stone Male Voice Choir, Stone has it all. Floral displays in the main shopping areas were excellent as was the refurbished street furniture, the result of Bloomers’ efforts themselves.
Young people figure very high and virtually all schools, Guides and Brownies etc are involved. The logistics of five schools entering a miniature garden competition must have been a nightmare.
Some unique things are happening in this town – a Friends of Stone in Bloom group, who even enjoy discounts negotiated with local businesses, and a litter-picking German Shepherd dog are just two example. It’s a well deserved Gold Award.
This award is given to exceptional achievers who have demonstrated a consistently high standard in all areas of the judging criteria and objectives of Britain in Bloom.
Stone resident Jayne Smith also won a special award for Endeavour and Determination at the awards ceremony in Birmingham earlier this week. Judges said that “despite suffering many physical, mental and emotional difficulties, Jayne has managed to transform the gardens of her housing association home into Chelsea-standard show gardens”.
Stone in Bloom secretary Jill Hood said: “The Stone in Bloom working group are thrilled at the level of success achieved. None of this would have been possible without the support of our sponsors Laurent Perrier, Walton Stores, Sleepy Hollow Nursery and many others.
“With the co-operation of the fantastic community groups and schools within Stone and the hard work of Streetscene, we have been successful. They too must share in the glory and recognition of the awards.
“It’s a daunting task that we have to look forward to, but Stone in Bloom will approach the 2012 national competition with the same enthusiasm and drive that worked for us this time.”
HUGE congratulations to everyone who played a part in this amazing success – the fourth gold medal in a row – and is really putting Stone on the map! Have a look at the official Stone in Bloom website if you’d like to get involved in keeping our town blooming.
Click the ‘Stone in Bloom’ tag to see lots of stories and pictures from this year’s campaign – including that litter-picking German Shepherd!
Related Posts:
