About South West in Bloom

South West in Bloom is one of eighteen regional/national competitions that make up Britain in Bloom, the biggest horticultural campaign in Europe. The aim of the communities that take part each year is to improve and regenerate our local environments, through the imaginative planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping, conservation and recycling projects, and to sweep away the eyesores that blight our streets, such as litter, graffiti and vandalism.

South West in Bloom organises a Spring Seminar  to help entrants share ideas, and there are a number of key speakers to cover main topics of the bloom. We produce two Newsletters, in the Spring and Autumn of each year, and the main Presentation event of the awards for both the South West in Bloom competition and the It's Your Neighbourhood is held in September.

We also hold a Childrens picture competition that any school children can enter. An entry form is available here.

The South West in Bloom committee members and the Judges are available to act as mentors for any of the entrants so if you need help please contact us. You can find details of the committee members here.

This year for the first time we launched the 2011 It's Your Neighbourhood scheme at the Eden Project in April.

Britain in Bloom, which is organised by the Royal Horticultural Society, is focused on Three core pillars

Horticultural Achievement
Environmental Responsibility
Community Participation

Ideally, your committee will represent your community, working with representatives from your local authority, local business, residents and gardening enthusiasts. 
Judging of your area takes place in July, using the criteria of the national Britain in Bloom competition, which you will find available on this site. You will be awarded a Gold, Silver-Gilt, Silver, Bronze or certificate of commendation based on marks accumulated over the  disciplines: 

The competitive element is designed to be fair to everyone, with entries grouped into categories based on population taken from the electoral roll. (This figure is obtainable from the Electoral Roll Officer at your local authority). You will see the categories on the awards list enclosed, together with the additional awards issued at the judge’s discretion. At the end of the year, the judges select a number of entries to represent the region in the following year’s national Britain in Bloom.

To help you succeed, you will need to generate funding from your own funding events, cash or benefits in kind from local business, or by attracting sponsorship or grants.

Being involved in South West in Bloom promotes a tremendous sense of community, and above all, its fun.