It's Your Neighbourhood (IYN) 2026 - free to enter!
It's Your Neighbourhood is supported by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
We are now accepting entries for 'It's Your Neighbourhood 2026' in the South West!
- Click here to download the 2026 IYN entry form.
- Click here to download the 2026 IYN Assessment form.
The South West in Bloom It's Your School (IYS) 2026 - free to enter!
In parallel with 'It's Your Neighbourhood', South West in Bloom also run our own 'It's Your School' scheme, as we passionately believe that schools (nursery/early years, primary, secondary and special education provision) form an important part of our local communities. Thus, we are very keen to recognise all the blooming wonderful School Gardens there are to be found across the South West.
School Gardens and their School Communities are to be celebrated! School gardening has such a positive impact on those involved, providing an opportunity for the young to 'garden' and to learn and have a greater understanding of horticulture practice and principles, design, sustainablity, our environment and the local climate.
Schools no doubt play a key role in our towns, cities and villages and help towards supporting and securing the future of a 'blooming' South West in Bloom'.
- It's Your School Entries for 2026, please complete the entry form 'Business and Other Categories' by clicking here to download.
- Click here to download the IYS 2026 Assessment form.
If you prefer, both IYN and IYS entries for 2026 can be submitted in an email (no need to complete the actual entry form). Please however ensure to provide in your email all the entry information required, as indicated on the 2026 entry forms.
Email to send 2026 entries to is: southwestinbloom1@outlook.com
Please note due to the volume of entries received, we do not acknowledge receipt of entry unless requested.
The 2025 South West IYN Results can be found here!
The 2025 South West IYS Results can be found here!
The 2024 South West IYN Results can be found here!
The 2024 South West IYS Results can be found here!
The 2023 South West IYN Results can be found here!
Background Information on It's Your Neighbourhood
RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN) is a unique scheme for volunteer led community gardening projects/groups who are focused on improving their local environment through community gardening. They can be for example, working in their local street, estate where they live, a back alley they share with their neighbours, or the local community centre’s outdoor space. Almost any outdoor site being looked after by the local community qualifies for this scheme. The RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood is an inclusive, non-competitive scheme, and groups can be made up of any number of community volunteers (from 2 to infinity!) .
Currently our IYN entry numbers in the South West are around 370. We are passionate to keep IYN entry numbers high, as they help to spread awareness far and wide in the South West on the number of volunteer led community gardening groups and projects we have in our region, and the array and amazing benefits community gardening can bring to all.
If you are new to the RHS It's Your Neighbourhood scheme, and are considering registering, we would recommend you read through the Participants Guidance and Assessor Notes below. These will provide you with further information on how the scheme works, the potential benefits registering as an IYN can bring, plus too, help you understand what the IYN Assessor will be looking for when they come and assesses your project.
Any queries or for further information on the It's Your Neighbourhood Scheme, please do not hesitate to contact the Regional Coordinator at South West In Bloom, who will be more than happy to help assist and guide you further on the IYN iniative.
Contact details: Email: southwestinbloom1@outlook.com Telephone: 07875 849809
RHS Introductory leaflet
IYN Assessment form.
Participants' Guidance Notes
IYN Assessor Notes
How Do I Get Started?
Getting involved is very easy, in fact, you only need 2 things:
1. A group
2. An idea for a project
Once you have these things, you are ready to get started!
For further information download the It's Your Neighbourhood RHS Support Pack
Gordon Ford Trophy - The Gordon Ford Trophy is a Discretionary Special Award which South West In Bloom present each year to the best It's Your Neighbourhood entry in our region. It can be assessed as part of a main judging tour or as a individual assessment. The IYN should encompass all three core pillars, Horticultural, Community and Environmental responsibility, as well as reaching an assessment 'Level 5 - Outstanding'.
Winner of the Gordon Ford Trophy in 2021 was "Jo's Upcycled Garden" in Melksham.
