STUDLEY village has scooped the second highest accolade at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom 2016 competition, coming away with a Silver Gilt award.
Studley, which represented the Heart of England region, was one of only five areas from across the UK chosen to compete in the Small Town category, and the silver gilt medal, the second highest available, confirms it as as one of the greenest and most beautiful small towns in the country.
The awards ceremony in Birmingham on Saturday (October 15) celebrated the contributions made by 300,000 Bloom volunteers which helped transform what are often grey and unloved areas into greener, cleaner and more beautiful spaces, and was hosted by TV Gardening Expert Chris Beardshaw.
Over the summer, teams of RHS judges travelled the length and breadth of the country to see the 72 finalists’ Bloom campaigns to determine who would lift the top prizes and each finalist was assessed against three key criteria: community participation, environmental responsibility and of course, horticultural achievement.
Chairman of the UK Judging Panel, Roger Burnett said: “This has been a truly outstanding year for Britain in Bloom with local communities devoting tremendous amount of time and effort into greening grey areas and sharing the many health and social benefits of horticulture.
“The judges were very impressed by the way communities refused to let the many challenges they faced hold them back. The finalists’ desire and determination to make their environment as green and pleasant as possible was truly humbling.
“We as judges are privileged to have a front row seat to see Britain in Bloom volunteers change the lives of thousands through their work. And it’s fitting that their efforts are recognised and celebrated.”
Visit www.rhs.org.uk/communitiess to find out more.
