Walthamstow Village is representing London in a nation-wide horticultural competition. Having clubbed together to get the area ready for the early August inspection, the community is now eagerly anticipating the result.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) runs the Britain in Bloom campaign and aims to empower communities to get together and take charge of ensuring their local area is both clean and green.
Overall there are 67 cities, towns and villages from 18 UK regions who have been chosen to exhibit the best in local horticulture. Walthamstow Village are competing against 8 other urban communities in their category from: Sheffield, Middlesborough, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Manchester, Derby, Portishead and Oxmoor.
Having won last year’s London in Bloom competition, Walthamstow Village was chosen to represent London at the national stage of the competition. Local residents were tasked with preparing the area for a 3-hour visit from RHS judges Tim Knight and Sue Wood on 4th August. Walthamstow Village Residents Association organised a number of events and fundraisers in order to prepare; these included a ‘plant and seed swap’ and a ‘sunflower planting day’. Individual volunteers, along with groups such as the WRVA gardening club and Vestry House Museum volunteer gardeners all offered their skills.
Volunteers believe that participation in Britain in Bloom not only creates a more aesthetically pleasing environment but also safer one as local pride brings the community closer: “RHS Britain in Bloom enables people to join together to improve their local communities through a range of long-term, sustainable projects, it instils civic pride and is hugely beneficial to the environment” said Helen Lerner, Chairperson of Walthamstow Village in Bloom. She added: “We have seen great improvements in the Village street-scene and it’s all thanks to the residents, businesses, Paul Tickner, Waltham Forest’s Contracts Monitoring Officer and his teams and, of course, the In Bloom and Walthamstow Village Residents’ Association committee, all of whom have worked so hard.”
Walthamstow Village in Bloom find out whether they have won on 29th September, at an ‘Oscar-style’ ceremony to be held at the Centennial Centre in Birmingham.
Well done to the Walthamstow Village in Bloom team! The village looks great!
I’ve lived here for 10 years and the village is just getting better and better. Anyone living in E17 but not familiar with this area will be pleasantly surprised. Great shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. We even have a village butcher and bakery…. Come and support local businesses!