South East In Bloom AwardsIntroductionManor Green Park and East Beach Pond in Selsey both received the Silver Gilt award for the South East in Bloom. It was the first time of entering for the Manor Green Park and so achieving the award immediately below Gold is pretty good going. South & South East in Bloom promotes, supports and encourages community activity through gardening, horticulture and environmental sustainability across Kent, Surrey, East & West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and parts of Dorset and Wiltshire. Entries are invited annually from neighbourhoods, villages, towns, and cities across our region who wish to improve their local environment and increase tourism. Entry into the "Bloom" helps to promote the benefits of gardening as a healthy and beneficial pastime for people of all ages and experience. The award ceremony was on 2 September at The Grand Hotel, Brighton. Nearly 400 people gathered in anticipation in the famous hotel's Empress Suite on September 2 for the announcements by chairman Peter Holman and former Britain in Bloom judges' chairman Jim Buttress. Chris Collins, the TV gardener best known for looking after the Blue Peter garden, presented the awards. Peter Holman praised entrants for their hard work, creativity and care for the environment, which makes the South & South East such a fantastic region. He told the audience: "We had our doubts about the number of entries we might expect in 2009 given the financial downturn, but I need not have worried, this has been our best year to date with even more entries than ever." For two weeks in early July judges visit entries across the South & South East to cast their professional eye over the efforts of the communities to decide who will be the winners in each category. The judge's decisions are revealed at the annual awards ceremony in early September. The award system recognises every entrant's efforts in improving their local environment. Entrants are assessed to a consistent standard with each entry receiving an award that recognises the standard reached. The awards are: |