OSWESTRY has been named the Best Large Town in Britain at the hugely prestigious RHS Best of Britain In Bloom awards.
The annual Royal Horticultural Society Best of Britain In Bloom awards took place in London on the October 23.
Last year, Oswestry made such a strong impression on the Heart of England judges that they advanced the town to the national finals.
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This year, Oswestry clinched the gold award and the top spot in the large town category.
Chair of the Oswestry In Bloom volunteer committee, Natalie Bainbridge said: “It was beyond our wildest dreams to win.
“The award recognises all the hard work, dedication, and cooperation of so many people. From individual hanging baskets to big community projects, everything is part of Oswestry In Bloom.
“It is Oswestry as a town that has won, and we need to build on this success to continue to grow, involving more people”.
Oswestry in Bloom also received a “Certificate of Achievement for Children and Young People’s Participation”.
This is a priority for the group with various projects including the planting of 1500 sunflowers taking place this year.
The awards are organised by the RHS, which is the UK’s leading gardening charity, and Britain in Bloom inspires community groups in towns, cities, and villages to make positive changes to their local environment through horticultural, environmental and community action.
Kay Clark, RHS Community Development Manager says “Across the UK, groups are enjoying the benefits gardening brings both to their local communities and their own wellbeing. These groups are also trailblazers, trialling innovative ways to tackle environmental issues and engage their wider communities in the most pressing challenges.”
In August, RHS judges paid a visit to Oswestry, where they received a brief but informative tour.
Alongside admiring the delightful floral arrangements, they had the opportunity to engage with members from a diverse range of organizations, all dedicated to enhancing the town's well-being.
The judges were particularly struck by both the diversity and the sheer number of these groups, often volunteers, and were pleasantly surprised by the active participation of many young individuals.
In recent years, the In Bloom initiative has transitioned from being primarily focused on horticulture to becoming predominantly community-oriented.
Natalie added “Oswestry In Bloom is now an established tradition in the town, and this year saw it win Gold (for the 16th year running) and Best Large Town (for the second year running) in the “Heart of England In Bloom” competition.
“Britain In Bloom rules say we can’t go through to the national final for another two years, but we’ll be ready”.
The overall winner of Britain in Bloom was Newcastle-under-Lyme from the small city category, also from the Heart of England region.
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