News Item

Bootle celebrates gold in top horticultural competition – October 2023

Community gardeners in Bootle are celebrating after the town landed a gold award for the first time in one of the region’s top ‘green’ competitions.

Judges of the urban category of the Royal Horticultural Society North West In Bloom event honoured Bootle’s fourth entry in the prestigious competition following one bronze and two silver awards in previous years.

The results were announced at the annual North West In Bloom awards ceremony in Bolton this week, where Bootle also picked up a second award as the most improved entrant of the year.

The In Bloom event aims to inspire residents to make positive changes to their local area through horticultural, environmental and community action.

The Bootle In Bloom team is led by Taking Root in Bootle, a project co-ordinated by local social enterprise Regenerus which brings residents, community organisations and businesses together to bring beauty and colour to the town’s streets, and improve the local environment for everyone.

This year’s judging route included community gardens, green alleyway projects, areas of street greening and a garden which was entered into the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show and replanted in Bootle after the show ended.

Team leader Ali Horton commented: “Everyone involved with the In Bloom entry is absolutely delighted to have won our first gold award.

“Bootle may not be the sort of place that people would traditionally expect to enter the In Bloom competition, but we’ve worked really hard over the last few years to green up our town.

“As a result Bootle is now home to fantastic community gardens, beautiful wildflower meadows, amazing alleyways and eye-catching street planters. and entering In Bloom has been a great opportunity to show just how green and vibrant the town now is.”

Ali added that the team were amazed to win a gold award, confessing that they were hoping for a silver gilt award at best this year.

Ruth Livesey of Regenerus added: “We are so proud of how local people and organisations have been working together under the banner of Bootle in Bloom.

“Any In Bloom project is a team effort and this year the community of Bootle really showed what can be achieved when we all work together. Now we have to turn our attention to Bootle in Bloom 2024 as our aim is to maintain our gold award for years to come.”

The In Bloom team are grateful to Sefton Council for supporting the volunteers and community organisations involved via the Green Sefton initiative.