The panel taking questions at the Brochayne community evening
Brochayne visit
Guernsey March 11th saw a very successful event at Les Cotils in conjunction with Floral
Guernsey, St Pierre du Bois floral group and Nigel Clarke from Queux patio plants. States members and parish representatives
were among guests invited to hear how participation in community events can bring significant benefits.Valerie
Blake, who is theDevelopment Manager of Northern Ireland's Broughshane 'Britain in Bloom' Group, explained
what being consistently successful in the Royal Horticultural Society competition has meant to her village.A strong
community ethos and pride in their village has grown from their 20 year involvement in Britain in Bloom.The
Group's environmental work has transformed and regenerated the village to such an extent it has now become a popular stopping
point for visitors travelling through the area.
Broughshane won the Large Village Competition in 2009(the category St Peter's takes part
in this year), and has gained international recognition by winning many national and international prizes, including the prestigious
Entente Florale Europe competition. The evening was rounded off with a question and answer session in front of
Valerie Blake, John Woodward (community judge) Nigel Clarke & Mike O'Hara (states deputy & head of culture &
leisure department)
What is the Community Competition? The ' Guernsey in Bloom' community competition
is designed to encourage all sectors of the community across the Bailiwick to work together to improve and regenerate their
local environments through imaginative planting of trees, shrubs and flowers, attractive landscaping, conservation and recycling
projects and cleanliness initiatives. Each year, the winning parish in bloom will be eligible to be put forward as the Bailiwick entrant in
the Britain in Bloom campaign organised through the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).They will be competing with entrants from the other regions. There are 12 English regions plus Scotland,
Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and, of course, the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The community competition is kindly sponsored
by Skipton International Limited
For more information about the Royal Horticultural Society please visit http://www.rhs.org.uk
The approach of the St Andrew's Floral Guernsey team has been
to raise awareness and the profile of Floral Guernsey in the Parish and to set a standard to encourage others. We do this
by maintaining floral visual displays in key locations throughout the year, complete projects that enhance the parish,
emphasising our heritage and supporting the young and old. We also assist the parish primary school with practical and financial
support 2008 - St Andrew's won gold in the community competition, Floral Guernsey, and will be representing
the Channel Islands in the 2009 RHS Britain in Bloom campaign. For more information or to become one of our volunteers please
see our website http://www.standrewsguernseyinbloom.org/
St Andrews receiving their Silver Gilt award from Toby Buckland
Silver Gilt award for St Andrews St Andrews was
awarded a Silver Gilt award in the RHS Britain in Bloom awards 2009. Gill Thwaite from the St Andrews Floral committee said
'we are thrilled and very proud, we feel we did our best and are very pleased' Joc Watts also received a posthumous
award for her outstanding contribution to the parish & Britain in Bloom. Her husband Ray collected the award and said
'sometimes it is difficult to realise the impact someone has on a community but this really brought it home. Joc was so
full of energy in everything she did' For more setails of St Andrews work please visit their website http://www.standrewsguernseyinbloom.org
Forest
The Forest Floral Committee aims to keep the parish tidy,to brighten up some central
areas with summer planting and to involve the community, especially the schools, in all projects.Our Wombling litter picking
up scheme is ongoing, as is our lower Rectory garden wildlife spot.We hold an annual plant sale each year in May, this year
on Saturday, 23 May at the Douzaine Room from 9.30 am to 12 noon. To join the Forest Floral committee contact Anne Shakerley
on 236492 or email anne.shakerley@guernsey.net
The Floral St Peters Group
St.Pierre du Bois
As
the winners of a Gold Award and the Floral Guernsey Community Competition in 2009 we have accepted an invitation to represent
the Bailiwick of Guernsey in Britain in Bloom Large Village category next year.
We are channeling our energies into encouraging our community to become involved in
the Floral Guernsey ethos and to develop a pride in our parish. We, as a Group, are proud of the way in which ‘St
Pierrais’ (St Peter’s parishioners) are doing just that, and we have pledged to continue our efforts.
Very much aware of our rural location our key objective is to develop areas of
natural and environmental interest. For 2009 our projects included a tree planting scheme at La Croix Cemetery involving
54 children, work on the community garden and development of Le Ch'min du Trésor, (the circular rectory walk).
We have also introduced several community initiatives, worked with the school and youth club, and have held fundraising events.We plan to build on these initiatives in the coming year.
Our growing band of ‘Give an Hour’ supporters is always keen to help with
whatever projects are on the go, and we continue to engage the support of the local business community. All concerned
are, like us, ‘proud of our parish’. To find out more about what we do, please log on to www.stpierredubois-floral.com, or telephone Marguerite Talmage on 264396.
Floral St Peter Port logo
St Peter Port The
Floral St Peter Port committee was formed by the Douzaine in 2006, and is working to make St Peter Port a nicer place for
everyone; residents, tourists, workers, shoppers, and even those who just use it as a car park! If this ties in to the Floral
Guernsey competition, so much the better. Through our website http://www.floralstpeterport.org.gg we hope to keep you informed about what we are up
to, and make it easy for you to get involved, and have some fun, too.
Herm Floral Community
Herm The 61 residents of Herm
are very proud of where they live and are all keen to play a part in maintaining the beauty and natural peacefulness of their
island home.Since winning a gold award in the 2002 Britain in Bloom in the small coastal resort category,
Herm Island and the environment has gone from strength to strength and we were pleased to win another gold award in Britain
in Bloom in 2008.The entire community help with keeping Herm beautiful whether it is by picking up litter,
tending the gardens, planting trees, promoting the gardens or watering bedding plants. Contact Herm through their website
www.herm-island.com
