Council welcomes Britain in Bloom judges to Coleraine

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has welcomed judges from The Royal Horticultural Society as they assess Coleraine’s ‘Large Town’ entry in the prestigious Britain in Bloom 2023 finals.

Council’s Estates Team has been preparing the town’s floral displays and green areas for months and with strong competition from the nine other finalists in this category, fingers are crossed that the judges were impressed with what they saw.  

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Steven Callaghan said: “We are delighted to welcome the Britain in Bloom judges to the Borough, and we hope that they are impressed with all the work our Estates Team has completed on this year’s displays.

“Coleraine is up against strong finalists from across the UK, but with biodiversity and sustainability at the forefront of our Estates team’s strategy, I know we will do the Borough proud.

“We’re all looking forward to hearing the results in due course and wish everyone across all categories the best of luck with this year’s Britian in Bloom competition.”

Coleraine’s entry in the coveted Britain in Bloom awards follows its win in the ‘Large Town’ category of Ulster in Bloom last year. 

Noel Davoren, Council’s Estates Manager, commended his team, saying: “Last year’s win would not have been possible without the hard work of my colleagues in the estates team and beyond, and I’d like to thank them all for their dedication.

“We are obviously delighted to be finalists in the Large Town category of Britain in Bloom, and we’ve been keen to get our biodiversity and sustainability message out there this year, including involving local primary schools and partner agencies such as DFI Roads in preparation for this year’s judging.

“It’s also been fantastic to be able to showcase our town centre to the judges, with our outdoor events space at the Diamond, local traders, and the fantastic Coleraine Re-Vitalise Street Art; all of which sits very well against our floral displays and light boxes that are dotted around the town centre.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped with preparations this year and especially the local school children who designed our town centre hanging baskets, The Crafty Cuppa Club members who had adorned the Diamond with handmade flowers and bumble bees and Causeway Speciality Market stall holder, Graham Watts of Causeway Coffee who also helped welcome the judges to the town.

“Fingers crossed we’ve done enough to win this category and good luck to all finalists.”

This was the final stop for RHS Britian In Bloom judges, Rae Beckwith and Roger Burnett who commenced judging approximately 2 weeks ago in Cornwall. They both thanked Council staff saying; “The floral impact in Coleraine was especially good.

“A highlight of our judging visit was the different approach Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has taken in Coleraine with their work to increase pollinators and their use of planting that is appropriate for rural areas.

“We were both interested to hear about the Council’s partnership work with DFI Roads in providing wildlife corridors alongside the road. Coleraine’s town centre was welcoming with appropriate planting, and it was also good to see the town centre artworks.”

The Royal Horticultural Society Britain announced its 44 Britian in Bloom finalists earlier this year, with Kay Clark, RHS Community Development Manager, stating: “Across the UK, groups are enjoying the benefits gardening brings to both their local communities and their own wellbeing.

“These groups are also trailblazers, trialling innovative ways to tackle environmental issues and engage their wider communities in today’s most pressing challenges.”

Entrants in all categories will have to wait until October before they find out if all the hard work has paid off.