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Local group celebrates Parish Halls for their floral displays and community spirit, despite cancellation of the annual Britain in Bloom competition.
Every year, the Natural Jersey team organise the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘Jersey in Bloom’ competition, which celebrates an array of floral displays across the island, that together with local environmental initiatives and the work of community volunteers form the basis of the national ‘Britain in Bloom’ campaign. Unfortunately, for the second year running, the Royal Horticultural Society (“RHS”) have cancelled all plans for Britain in Bloom, due to the Covid-19 situation. Participating groups, such as Natural Jersey were informed that:
“We had hoped to run the UK finals in 2021, but as the year has progressed and the uncertainty around COVID-19 continues we have come to realise that we cannot safely plan any physical tour. The health and wellbeing of volunteers – judges, groups and their wider communities, is of the utmost importance to us.” – Kay Clark, Royal Horticultural Society
However, the Natural Jersey team are no strangers to quickly adapting their plans in order to sustain an important community initiative. In 2020, it was apparent that despite Covid related restrictions, most of Jersey’s Parish Halls were resplendent in beautiful blooms. The Natural Jersey executive committee judged 10 of the Parish Halls and were delighted to be able to present each parish with a Gold Award.
It is already apparent that Parish ‘Bloom Teams’ are again working hard on their floral displays. Therefore, Natural Jersey will again judge a mini ‘Jersey in Bloom’ for 2021.
“Our Parish ‘Bloom Teams’ do a wonderful job year-after-year in creating spectacular floral displays at our Parish Halls across the island. These displays brighten up our community spaces and particularly during these challenging times, we feel it is important to celebrate the efforts of these teams,” said Chris Perkins, Chairman of Natural Jersey
The RHS also intend to present Community Awards in 2021 in the following categories:
1. Nourishing your community – growing of fruit and vegetables
2. Planting with purpose – creative gardening/horticultural practice
3. Nature friendly gardening – enhancing/creating habit to increase biodiversity
4. Green solutions – management of green space/tree & hedgerow planting etc
5. Cultivating your community – support for groups pursuing the above.
Mr Perkins also commented:
“Natural Jersey is delighted to be able to nominate for Community Awards, a number of notable pan-island initiatives that are widely supported by the parishes. The teams behind these projects are currently hard at work preparing presentations for the RHS. I am sure we will witness Jersey’s usual community spirit and anticipate they will all do very well”.
Further news regarding the RHS Community Awards; the results of Jersey in Bloom 2021; plus some exciting initiatives for Jersey in Bloom 2022 will be announced in the coming months.
