Blackburn in Bloom Scoops Gold Award

Published Wednesday 2 November 2016 at 10:47

Blackburn is celebrating after winning “Gold” at the 2016 Royal Horticultural Society’s North West in Bloom Awards which honour the region’s greenest and most beautiful locations.

Partners from organisations across the town centre who have worked together to help Blackburn bloom scooped the award at the ceremony at Southport Theatre and Convention Centre on Friday. (28th October 2016)

A panel of judges assessed the town from Darwen Street to Blackburn College during a two-hour grand tour earlier this year searching for the imaginative use of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping.

During the tour, the judges were impressed by the quantity and quality of the displays across town which is a partnership project between Blackburn Business Improvement District, who fund the cost of the plants, and Blackburn with Darwen Council who design and maintain the flower displays.

Councillor Jim Smith, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said:

“The flower displays in the town centre look great and this is a brilliant achievement for Blackburn. To win a gold award, with such stiff competition is fantastic.

“It also shows the strong partnership between the Council, Blackburn BID and volunteers such as the Blackburn Horticultural Society and organisers of the Blackburn Flower Festival, that together we can transform our town centre into a beautiful space for our residents and visitors.”

Earlier this year, the Friends of Blackburn Cathedral, organised a major four-day flower festival attracting thousands of visitors from across the country, which also impressed the judges.

Manager of the Blackburn Business Improvement District, Harriet Roberts, believes the flourishing result was a result of the best kinds of teamwork, events and environmental schemes to make Blackburn greener, cleaner and more attractive for visitors.

She said:

“Blackburn deserves recognition for its floral achievements after a dedicated team worked hard to improve the environment with colourful displays for those who visit or work in the centre. It’s a fantastic result to achieve a gold. A gold constitutes an exceptionally high standard demonstrated throughout and we want to thank everybody involved.”

North West in Bloom is one of 18 voluntary regional organisations that administers the Britain in Bloom competition in Lancashire.

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