Beverley Town Council

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Beverley In Bloom

Beverley in Bloom Brightens Town Centre

Beverley is soon to be brightened up by the arrival of planters and hanging baskets throughout the town centre. Beverley in Bloom, the local voluntary group that coordinates and manages the floral displays in partnership with Beverley Town Council, hopes they will bring a splash of floral colour for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Chris Dawson, Beverley in Bloom Chairman, said:  “We will soon be filling the smaller planters around the town and we are looking forward to the larger, three-tiered floral displays that will again feature in key locations. Beverley has many beautiful old buildings and we believe that the floral displays will compliment them and we’re delighted that this year we are able to place some displays around the entrance to Beverley Minster. In addition, we’re hoping that there will be the usual strong support from traders, ordering individual hanging baskets for display.  We would like to thank all those who continue to support our efforts, despite difficult economic times. We have a very good working relationship with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, local businesses, schools and other local groups, so this is a real community effort with everyone working together. Beverley is a service centre for many surrounding villages and we hope that by brightening up the town centre during the summer months, we will bring more people into our town.”

Beverley in Bloom has also launched its Annual Town Garden Competition.  There are many different categories for residential or community gardens and different types of business premises.

If you are proud of your garden, the group want to encourage you to enter, regardless of whether you have a huge garden, a small back yard or even a window box display. “There are some fantastic gardens in Beverley and we want to celebrate that, with this competition and the Beverley in Bloom Awards Evening in September.”

Beverley in Bloom has entered the annual Yorkshire in Bloom Competition; in April the group hosted a successful spring visit from the judges which earned them an excellent Silver Gilt position, matching last year’s overall result. The judges identified many areas of achievement including the re-landscaping of Coronation Gardens and Hengate Memorial Garden. ‘The many features and projects the judges were shown that enhanced the town impressed the judges. Those involved had worked hard to produce a creditable entry’. The group is now looking forward to welcoming the judges for their summer visit on Thursday 22nd July and will learn how they faired overall against other towns in Yorkshire at the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards Presentation to be held in Leeds in September.

Last year the group spent nearly £6000 brightening up the town but this year is facing a drastically reduced budget. The group have many ideas on future improvements but are facing the prospect of having to put these on hold while they take stock of how to generate future funds and best spend them around the town.

Entry Forms for the town competition are available at the Town Council Office, the Beverley Tourist Information Centre or downloadable here.

Business/Commerial Competition Form
Residential Competition Form
Basket Ordering Form

The closing date is 2nd July with judging taking place 12th -23rd July and winners notified at the Beverley in Bloom Awards Evening.

Orders are also now being taken for hanging baskets – order forms are available as above.

 

Winner of the Yorkshire in Bloom Best Town Award 2007

Best Town in Yorkshire - Victory fo Beverley in Bloom

Beverley in Bloom is celebrating after coming first in the annual Yorkshire in Bloom competition.  Gaining a Silver Gilt for excellent, the town was ranked as the best in Yorkshire and also won the Yorkshire in Bloom Discretionary Award for Most Improved East Riding Village or Town.  In a statement The Beverley in Bloom Group said in a statement made at the time of the award in September 2007: 

"We are really bowled over by this success.  A lot of hard work has gone into Beverley in Bloom over many years and this is a wonderful culmination of that.  Volunteers, residents groups, young people and ERYC officers have worked closely with Beverley in Bloom and Beverley Town Council and we are delighted that such efforts have been acknowledged in this way, especially at a time when many floral displays were hit hard by the bad weather and floods earlier in the summer.  There is still more that we would like to do and will look to raising funds to make Beverley even brighter.  It's not just about flowers and floral displays... it's also about getting the community working together, young and old, to help make the best of our wonderful town.  At the end of the day, we do what we can to make Beverley a bright and colourful place for residents and visitors to enjoy.  This accolade will no doubt spur us on to do even more in the future."

 But who are Beverley in Bloom and what does the group do?

For the first time, in late autumn 2006 we planted spring bulbs and evergreen varieties in the communal planters throughout the town centre, which have received many positive comments from residents, who have appreciated a splash of colour during colder months.  In addition, we have liaised closely with ERYC in the hope that any new developments of community space will include floral displays for the enjoyment of all who frequent them.

It has also been a bumper year for private gardens, with an extremely impressive array of residential, community and business projects being judged as part of our annual town competition.  It was delightful to see a bustling awards evening in September, with many people in attendance and an enjoyable evening had by all.  Thanks must go to Fleurs de Lisa for providing not only raffle prizes and demonstrations on the evening, but also enabling a “Generation Game” style challenge of flower arranging between the Chairman of the Committee and the Town Clerk!  We hope to do the same at this year’s awards evening, but will be encouraging members of the audience to take part.

 

 Yet again we have been pleasantly surprised with the lack of vandalism planters experienced, however Railway Square proved somewhat problematic.  An enthusiastic group of residents from Railway Street are now involved with Beverley in Bloom and it is envisaged that Railway Square will become something of a community project, with residents young and old taking care of new plants when they are installed later in the year.  In addition, work has begun on Beverley Railway Station and it is hoped that when this is completed the local train company will place planters within the station that we can plant up and care for.

 

There are many important new developments due to take place within the town, none more so than the Clariant site.  We have had initial conversations with the developers and it is hoped that the site will include the opportunity for us to work in partnership with them to ensure a floral and green element to the design.  Overall, Beverley in Bloom and its small but dedicated group of volunteers continues to try and make real and positive differences to the look of the town.  With more funding and greater community input we could achieve so much more, but with our current resources we do the best we can and help make Beverley look it’s best through the spring and summer months.

 

Every year we are bowled over by the quality of Beverley gardens.  It has also been wonderful to see many shops and businesses in the town also take part to brighten up Beverley.  In particular, there is strong competition amongst pubs, which are now doing more than ever before to really make the most of the town.

 

 

We also work with a variety of residents groups, schools and youth-based organisations and have carried out several very successful bulb and tree planting days.  These events have seen children and young people coming out in force to help improve their neighbourhoods.  It has also provided opportunities for residents young and old to work together for their own community.

 

We are always looking for new ideas and volunteers, so if you have greenfingers or would like to suggest new projects Beverley in Bloom could get involved with, please do not hesitate to contact us via the Town Council.   We will continue working over the coming months towards winning Yorkshire in Bloom and hope that residents continue to enjoy the floral displays we continue to provide, that help create a bright and pleasant place to live.

                             

 Council For copies of the latest Beverley in Bloom minutes please click here