National recognition stems from hard work
Newcastle and Kidsgrove’s green parks, pleasant public places and eye-catching roundabouts are on the shortlist for a prestigious national award.
The borough is one of four shortlisted to contest this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom ‘small city’ category.
Welcoming the announcement, Jill Waring, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's Cabinet member for Leisure, Culture and Heritage, said:
We take great pride in Newcastle’s appearance: we want it to be both a place that residents are proud to call home and one that impresses our visitors from around the world.
The team works really hard all year round, together with communities and volunteers, preparing the formal displays, nature areas and other projects, which add to the overall effect.
They were already planning a special effort to mark the Borough’s 850th anniversary this year, so whatever the result it will be something to be proud of.
The Queens Gardens will be planted with annual bedding on the theme of the 850th celebrations, and the entry also takes a sustainable approach by providing herbaceous and perennial planting on town centre roundabouts, including pollinators, and native tree planting as part of the Urban Tree Planting Strategy, including a Lyme Forest incorporating 850 lime trees.
Such has been the council’s consistently high standards, the borough has won Gold in the regional small city category for 20 years in a row, as well as taking a hat-trick of regional championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. In recent years it’s also won the national ‘small city’ title and a gold award in the Champion of Champions round.
Rivals in the competition, to be judged later this year, are Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, Derry in Northern Ireland and the Borough of Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire.
Judging will take place in late July or early August and not only does the council draw on the efforts of its workers to prepare, it works closely with volunteers and the different groups to bring everything to a peak.
Jill Waring added:
The Newcastle in Bloom campaign is a borough-wide partnership involving residents, businesses, schools and community groups, as well as a wide range of passionate volunteers.
As well as individuals, we have companies granting their staff time to help out and projects going on in church grounds or at sheltered accommodation complexes – and then of course we have people taking pride in their own personal gardens.
Working together, we can make Newcastle and Kidsgrove a better place and take pride in our achievements.
More information about Newcastle in Bloom, how to get involved and sponsorship opportunities is available on our website.