Midsomer Norton has beaten off stiff competition in the National Britain in Bloom Awards to win a Silver Gilt in the Town category at the prestigious and glittering Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) UK Finals Awards Ceremony, which was held in Birmingham last Friday.
Midsomer Norton, which represented the South West region, was one of only six areas from across the UK chosen to compete in the Town category of the awards. The town’s medal, the second highest available, lands it the accolade as one of the greenest and most beautiful towns in the country, as judged by the RHS.
This is the first time that the town has entered the national competition, and although there were hopes of a win, the committee knew any award would be a great achievement.
There was further excitement as both Paul Myers and Patricia Flagg, from the Midsomer Norton In Bloom committee, were named two of twelve Britain in Bloom Community Champions, which is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication to the Britain in Bloom cause in their community.
Speaking about the Town’s Silver Gilt award, Paul Myers, President of Midsomer Norton In Bloom and the Town’s Mayor, said: “This is the first time Midsomer Norton has ever made it to the Britain In Bloom finals. When we arrived at the Awards, we soon realised what we were up against, with the superstars of Bloom from all around the UK assembled in one room.
“With such amazingly high standards and the fact that we were competing against places like the City of London, we were really pleased with our results, and quite frankly, bowled over with the two National Community Champion Awards.
“Thanks are due to all those who worked so hard in our community and we look forward to getting together next week to celebrate – not just the Britain In Bloom results, but also the South West In Bloom win.”
The RHS Britain in Bloom Awards ceremony celebrates the huge contribution made by the 300,000 Bloom volunteers whose hard work and dedication help transform what are often grey and unloved areas into greener, cleaner and more beautiful spaces for everyone to enjoy. Over the summer, teams of RHS judges travelled the length and breadth of the country to see the 72 finalists’ Bloom campaigns to determine who would lift the top prizes. Each finalist was assessed against three key criteria: community participation, environmental responsibility and of course, horticultural achievement. Ahoghill in Ulster won the 2016 RHS Britain in Bloom Champion of Champions.