Cricklade in Bloom – rooted in the community
This is the first time Cricklade has been nominated for the Champion of Champions category in the UK Finals of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign.
A sense of pride and excitement has carried the community from the cold days of December, when the announcement was first made, to the sunny morning in August when the judges visited. From planning to planting, the Cricklade in Bloom volunteers didn’t stop working, meeting twice a week to ensure their community looked the best it possibly could.
The 2011 campaign
The Cricklade in Bloom group began their 2011 campaign by joining forces with the local council and town clerks to conduct a tour of the area. They created a snagging list of everything that needed attention; from broken street signs, to loose manhole covers and unkempt flower beds; three spreadsheets worth of actions were noted!
'We really wanted to look at Cricklade through fresh eyes, to see it as a visitor or Bloom judge would and we felt the best way to do this was to write a list of everything that needed fixing,' explained Anita Barratt, chairperson for Cricklade Bloomers.
“We didn’t really expect to be able to tick everything off the snagging list but we did it. By working with everyone in the town, along with the big utility companies, we identified who was responsible for the different jobs, and everything got done. I guess this just proves what great community action can do, not to mention the wonderful work of the town clerks!”
Tea, cake and fritillaries
Cricklade joined forces with the official RHS Britain in Bloom launch in March 2011. They planted trees and held a community wide event.
'However it was the tearooms we ran in conjunction with the North Meadow National Nature Reserve and its partners that enabled us to raise the money we needed for this year’s work,' said Anita.
'Thousands visited in April, to see the snake’s-head fritillaries in the reserve and walk by the River Thames. We sold them tea and cakes as they went, raising not only the funds we needed but also the awareness of our Bloom campaign and the work Natural England does in helping to keep the Meadows alive with wildlife.”
Cricklade has a wonderful resource in the form of a community nursery, built on land that was once a walled garden behind the Lloyds Bank in the middle of the town. Complete with polytunnel, the nursery grows all the plants for Cricklade’s entry into Britain in Bloom.
The Bloom volunteers worked on numerous projects, including a community garden planted with sustainable shrubs and perennials by more than 100 people. They also supported local primary schools in teaching their children how to garden and worked in partnership with many different voluntary groups. From the Community Payback teams who cleared the ditches and hedges to the fire brigade, scouts and Royal British Legion, every age group has been involved and local resident represented.
'To mark the 90th anniversary of the Legion, we helped in planting up a poppy design in the middle of one of the flower beds. It was so beautiful that people would stop, admire and contemplate its meaning before continuing with their day; it was lovely to see,' explained Anita.
When the judges visited in August the sun shone and community was out in force.
“The judges saw everything we had planned. We weren't sure how well we’d done or what medal we’d be awarded, but at the end of the day our community is thriving - so in that sense we’ve already achieved what we set out to do seven years ago, when we first got involved with Britain in Bloom.
'We used to experience little pockets of anti-social activity like all places do, graffiti on walls and broken windows, but this year there has been none. I can only put this down to the Bloom effect and the wonderful community spirit it has helped to create.' concluded Anita.