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Golden Year for
Woolton in Bloom in the RHS Britain in Bloom 2014 Finals
WOOLTON in Bloom has been
selected from more than 1,000 entrants to take part in the Royal
Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2014, as the
campaign celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
The national Britain in Bloom judges nominated Woolton to the
national finals of the competition following the regional stage of
judging in 2013. Woolton was selected for engaging every element of
the community, for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to
helping the environment and for horticultural excellence. Woolton
has been nominated by the RHS for the prestigious Champion of
Champions Category; 1 of only five entries in the whole country.
2 years ago Woolton in Bloom constructed a large floral crown to
commemorate Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee which proved a huge
success. Last year it was replanted in honour of the Coronation.
This year our main feature is a WW1 soldier sitting in a trench
surrounded by poppies.
Young people from Gateacre School have also decorated our Lambanana*
with poppies and WW1 medals, and also sunflowers to represent our 2
themes.
On 31 July Woolton will be visited by 2 RHS judges, Brendan Mowforth
& Mark Wasilewski will spend 2.5 hours in the village, where they
will also meet Lord Mayor, Cllr Erica Kemp. Woolton in Bloom Chair,
Cllr Barbara Mace said:- "We are really looking forward to
meeting Brendan and Mark when they visit our village on Thursday –
it's always so useful when they give us advice on ways we can
improve our public spaces even more. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank all the volunteers who help keep our village
tidy and beautiful"
Woolton is going for Gold and aim to win their category. Results
will be announced at an awards ceremony in Bristol this October and
will be attended by representatives of all 74 finalists.
Kerry Peacock, Horticultural Manager of Woolton in Bloom, said:-
"It is the highest possible honour to be nominated for Champion
of Champions in this the 50th Anniversary of the RHS. From small
beginnings in 2001 Woolton has won accolade after accolade, Gold
after Gold, and to win Gold again would means so much to the small
group of volunteers who work hard all year round."
Stephanie Eynon, RHS Community Horticulture Manager, said:-
"This is a really special year to be an RHS Britain in Bloom
finalist because it's the fiftieth anniversary of the campaign. We
would like to congratulate every group for reaching the finals of
RHS Britain in Bloom but of course it's not about beating fellow
finalists, it's about volunteers of all ages and walks of life
gaining recognition for their extraordinary efforts to improve
streets and neighbourhoods in towns, villages and cities across
Britain. The awards are our opportunity to say 'thank you' and may I
wish Woolton in Bloom and every finalist the very best of luck in
this golden anniversary year."
The story of Britain in Bloom began in 1964 when the tourist board
wanted a way to market the country through floral displays. Since
the RHS took over as the organising body in 2001, the focus of the
campaign has widened to include helping the environment,
strengthening communities and inspiring more people to get involved.
Although the campaign runs all year round, the run up to the judges'
tour is a time when communities throughout the UK unite and redouble
their efforts. For more information on RHS Britain in
Bloom:-
rhs.org.uk.
* Lambananas were a huge success during Liverpoool's capital of
culture year in 2008 and there were over 100 around the City. Woolton's Lambanana, named Poppy this year, is a smaller replica of
the originals |
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Lifelong Friends
Raise £1,300 during Mountain Challenge
2 friends from Southport
have completed a gruelling 37.5km trek across some of Yorkshire's
highest mountains to raise over £1,300 for cancer research in the
North West.
Debbie Parkes and Penny Lane took on the marathon Three Peaks
Challenge in June this year, to raise as much money as possible for
North West Cancer Research (NWCR) Incorporating Clatterbridge Cancer
Research; the region's leading charity which facilitates cancer
research into the detection, treatment and prevention of cancers.
The ladies completed the challenge which covered nearly 1,600m of
ascent and descent in just over 14 hours, climbing peaks Pen-y
Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, which is the highest mountain in
Yorkshire at 735m high.
Debbie and Penny first became aware of NWCR through their friend
Olive Cutts who is the chair of the charity's Southport-based
fundraising committee and Debbie's daughter Danielle has previously
volunteered at the committee's fundraisers. Formed in 1957, the
committee now has 18 volunteers, many of whom have become involved
with the charity after being personally affected by cancer.
Debbie, said:- "We did it! It was certainly a challenge but
delighted to say that we have been able to complete the Three Peaks
and beat our target of raising £1,000 for North West Cancer
Research. We are still receiving more money from last minute
donations, so the amount continues to get bigger. Thank you to
everyone who donated and supported us along the way, we really
couldn't have done it without you. Penny and I have some great
memories from the day and are really looking forward to taking on
our next challenge. The money we have raised will now help fund
vital cancer research in our area. The mission to fund cancer
research is close to my heart as the disease has affected so many of
my friends and family and the only way to fight it is to fund
treatment research."
Penny added:- "We've all been affected by cancer in one way or
another, so it was really important for both Debbie and I to do
something to support a charity like NWCR. It was hard work and
a real test of our endurance, but totally worth it to raise the
amount of money we did."
NWCR is the leading regional charity which raises money to achieve a
better understanding of cancer and directly benefits people living
in the North West. To date it has raised over £28million to fund
cancer research projects and the charity prides itself on only
backing the very highest standards of research, ensuring the best
value for all donations.
The latest round of research grants has totalled almost £1.1million
taking the total amount of research funding awarded by the charity
this year over the £2million mark. NWCR operates research institutes
at the University of Liverpool, University of Bangor and Lancaster
University.
More information on North West Cancer Research can be found at:-
nwcr.org.
Anne Jackson, CEO at NWCR, said:- "A big well
done to Debbie and Penny for their astonishing fund raising efforts
and for completing such a tough challenge. Thank you to everyone who
showed their support for the ladies and made some very generous
donations. All the money raised from fund raising activities such as
this, will help fund vital research projects which look at our
understanding, treatment and the prevention of cancers right here in
the North West; which is why every penny we raise is so important."
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