Shrewsbury BID enters Heart of England in Bloom contest
Shrewsbury Town Council is supporting Shrewsbury BID with its first entry into the Heart of England in Bloom contest.
Shrewsbury Town Council is supporting Shrewsbury BID with its first entry into the Heart of England in Bloom contest.
After being crowned RHS Britain in Bloom Champion of Champions last year, the Town Council is taking a well-deserved break from the contest and instead has been guiding Shrewsbury BID with an entry in its own right.
The BID campaign takes in the whole of the town centre and concentrates on three core areas; Horticultural Achievement, Environmental Responsibility and Community Participation.
Judges will visit Shrewsbury on Tuesday 21 July when the town centre’s many floral aspects will be judged against exacting criteria. Adjudicators will have the opportunity to meet owners of new and established independent retail and leisure businesses, representatives from national brands to discuss their involvement with local charities, events’ organisers and key representatives from the Residents Association, the University and the new Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.
Following a two-hour walking tour around the town centre, the judges will be joined by members of the Shrewsbury business community for a lunch on the Sabrina Boat.
Helen Ball, Town Clerk said: “After being crowned the best of the best last year we decided to take a short recess from the Bloom contest, during which time we have been delighted to support Shrewsbury BID with its own entry into the Heart of England competition.
“The Town Council has still lived up to its horticultural standards, all of our hanging baskets, planters and tubs, and of course our centrepiece in the Dingle, have been planted out as usual with more than 300,000 blooms grown at our own greenhouse. We just haven’t entered the formal part of the contest this year.
“Supporting Shrewsbury BID makes perfect sense. Bloom and business go hand in hand, green streets encourage people to linger longer, help to bond communities together and reduce anti-social behaviour, all conditions which help businesses to thrive.”
Kirsten Henly, BID manager said: “We are looking forward to entering Shrewsbury into this national competition and showcase the town’s offer. Shrewsbury’s green spaces and floral features are managed by the Town Council and Shropshire Council and the recognition received for their work is brilliant. This year we have an opportunity to try to add to their horticultural successes and to involve the town’s business community to raise the Shrewsbury’s profile and highlight the contributions they also make throughout the year to make Shrewsbury a beautiful place to work in and visit.”
Shrewsbury in Bloom is currently seeking new members to join the committee. The group meets on a regular basis and is a driving force behind Shrewsbury’s reputation as a Town of Flowers. Anyone interested can call Gary Farmer, Operations Manager, on 01743 257651 or email gary.farmer-stc@shropshire.gov.uk
