2010 Portfolio 2016 Contents A Warm Welcome 1 Shrewsbury in Bloom Committee 2 Review of the Year 4–6 Illustrating your Achievements Horticultural Achievement 8–12 Environmental Responsibility 13–19 Community Participation 20–24 Conclusion and Future Developments Key Achievements in 2015/16 26 Key Aims and Objectives for 2016/17 27 Appendices 28–29 Cover image Illumination of the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury by Hamish McKeown A graphic design & illustration graduate, Hamish McKeown is a new media light and sound artist, animator and programmer who lives in Shropshire. His works range from intricate multi-projector interior and exterior installations to large-scale outdoor projection projects. He is the resident artist at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery and his works also include illumination of Liverpool Cathedral, projects at the JQ Festival in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and Gateshead’s Enchanted Parks project. His most recent Shropshire illumination was for Shropshire Wildlife Trust ‘Shrewsbury Green Spaces’ illumination of the Old Market Hall www.hamishmckeown.com Councillor Ioan Jones – Mayor of Shrewsbury As the Mayor of Shrewsbury it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Shropshire’s County Town. We are delighted to have this opportunity to once again showcase our horticultural prowess in the “original one off” that is Shrewsbury. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our enthusiastic Bloom Committee who, along with our sponsors and partners, work so hard throughout the year to make Shrewsbury a blooming great place to live, work and visit. We take our reputation as the Town of Flowers very seriously and it’s a mantle we strive to uphold 365-days a year. We are extremely lucky that our medieval county town is most definitely one of those hidden gems in the English countryside, providing a wonderful backdrop against which we are able to showcase our fabulous floral displays. I hope that you enjoy your visit to Shrewsbury and uncover some more of the wonderful sights that makes Shrewsbury the “Town of Flowers”. Keith Roberts – Chairman, Shrewsbury in Bloom As chairman of Shrewsbury in Bloom I am extremely proud to welcome you to our beautiful town of flowers, especially as we return to the Heart of England in Bloom competition in the Small City category. The Bloom Committee, alongside extremely supportive We are lucky to have so many community groups, Town and Unitary Councils, has managed to embed the organisations and individuals who work so diligently Bloom philosophy across everything the town does, to uphold our prized floral reputation – these are the touching so many areas of Shrewsbury and the people fantastic people that make Bloom happen every year. who live and work in the town. They include; Severnside Housing Association, West Mercia Police, Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, For Shrewsbury, entering the Bloom competition is not Severn Hospice, The Hive, Shropshire Council, Veolia, just about winning a competition, we undertake our Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents Association, work year in, year out for our residents and visitors. Our Shropshire Horticultural Society, the Environment main aim is to produce our floral displays for the height Agency, the Allotment Associations and Tidy Shrewsbury. of our summer season and the visitors who come to our wonderful town for both the floral aspects and its history. Together these people, in conjunction with Shrewsbury Town Council, all help to make Shrewsbury THE Town of Flowers. 1 The Shrewsbury in Bloom Committee • The Shrewsbury in Bloom committee meets on a regular basis • The town’s sponsors range from franchises of large corporations all year round, but more frequently during the summer months, to small, local independent companies and are as follows: Morris to help plan floral displays in and around the town. Income is Properties; Veolia Environmental Services; Albright Hussey generated from actively marketing, promoting and selling hanging Manor Hotel & Restaurant; Crowmoor Primary School; Ironcraft baskets to local businesses in the town centre and by seeking of Shrewsbury; James Holyoak & Parker Limited; W R Pugh floral sponsorship for roundabouts, planters and other floral beds. Undertakers; Marches Care Ltd; Ray Parry Playground Services; Alan Ward Furnishers; Greenthumb; Copthorne Road Vets; • The committee is principally made up of volunteers from the Sign & Poster; MiPower Limited; Bannatynes Health Club; local community and businesses. There are currently 7 volunteer Bluebird Care; Dyke Yaxley Solicitors; Cleartone Communications; members, 3 council officers and 2 councillors who work closely Inocencia; GreenTek; Gild of Freemen of Shrewsbury; Kingsland with all its partners to ensure the town always looks its best. Polymers; Whitecroft Fish & Chip Shop; First Car; Lunts The • The group’s main objective is to act as a stakeholder for new Chemist; Sign & Print; Oxon Touring Park; The Parade Shopping ideas and projects to enhance the town. Centre; Salop Leisure; and McDonalds. • Shrewsbury currently has 32 business sponsors, which over the • The committee is dedicated to working with local primary past twelve months (01/04/15—31/03/16), has generated an schools and launched its own online educational programme, income of £22,289. A total of 271 commercial hanging baskets ‘Get Schools Blooming’ in 2011. The scheme aims to encourage were sold last year, raising over £11,473 and numbers continue and support local primary schools to create and actively use to rise year on year, despite the continuing austerity factors a school garden. Members of the committee are also actively within the economy. We are delighted with the excellent involved in supporting their local schools and are happy to response to our continuing collaboration with companies which provide hands-on help and advice to young gardeners and also is testament to the pride and commitment of local businesses encourage schools to enter the various floral competitions here in Shrewsbury to the visual impact of the floral displays supported by both Heart of England in Bloom and Shrewsbury around the town. Town Council. • Shrewsbury in Bloom has its own website www.shrewsburyinbloom.co.uk which is updated on a regular basis and is used to promote projects, events and activities, display schools’ work and announce winners of competitions. 2 3 Review of the Year July 2015 September 2015 • Judging for Shrewsbury in Bloom’s annual school gardens • Shrewsbury Carnival & Show Annual Presentation evening competitions takes place with Shrewsbury High Prep School to distribute funds raised to local charities and voluntary winning both the Unusual Floral Container and School’s Wildlife organisations Garden categories • Servicemen and women paraded through Shrewsbury to • Shrewsbury BID welcomed the judges in the Heart of England commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in Bloom competition as part of their first BID category entry followed by a memorial service in St Chad’s Church and wreath-laying in the Quarry Park • Hundreds of women took part in Severn Hospice’s first Midnight Walk in the town, helping to raise much-needed funds for • Shrewsbury Market Hall celebrated its 50th anniversary with a the charity ceremony attended by traders, civic leaders and local dignitaries • Hermitage Gardens in Frankwell, Bowbrook Allotments and • Shrewsbury BID won Gold and the BID Category in the Heart Severn Hospice are all judged in the Heart of England in Bloom of England in Bloom competition in their first entry into the “It’s Your Neighbourhood” category vBloom competition • Hermitage Community Garden in Frankwell was awarded a Level 4 – Thriving rating in the Heart of England It’s Your August 2015 Neighbourhood awards with their first entry in the competition • Horticultural staff from Shrewsbury Town Council were • Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Miles Kenny and the Town Crier represented at the 128th Shrewsbury Flower Show with welcomed six wounded Armed Forces veterans to the town as a stand reflecting the horticultural work undertaken in the town they passed the halfway point in their gruelling 1,000-mile charity • With a slight change in format to simplify the categories, judging trek in aid of Walking with the Wounded, with the local branch was completed in Shrewsbury in Bloom’s annual Town of Flowers of the charity in Shropshire handing over a cheque for £5,391 competitions, with awards in both Commercial, Residential and Schools Categories October 2015 • Shrewsbury Folk Festival at the West Midlands Showground • Spring bedding planting programme completed in the early part • Shrewsbury Steam Engine & Vintage Vehicle Rally, now in its of the month 53rd year, commemorated the centenary of the Sentinel factory being established in Shrewsbury • Christmas lights erected around the town • Shrewsbury residents are invited to have their say in a public consultation over the future of the play area within the town’s Quarry Park • Fifty community activists launched a campaign to win £1m funding as part of Sainsbury’s “Waste Less, Save More” promotion to help make Shrewsbury the greenest and cleanest town in the UK • Shrewsbury’s Charity Christmas Card Shop launched at St Mary’s Church, with 42 national, regional and local charities signed up to showcase their festive goods 4 November 2015 • Shrewsbury paid tribute to all the men and women who died serving their country in the annual Remembrance Sunday service at St Chad’s preceded by a parade from the Castle through the town • The community came together to celebrate the Christmas lights switch-on which included Father Christmas on his sleigh in the Square as well as bands, carol singers and choirs all joining in the fun around the town to entertain the crowds and herald the start of “late-night shopping” in the town • Bulb planting sessions held by Councillors around the town December 2015 • Shrewsbury’s annual pantomime at the Theatre Severn started its longer than usual seven-week run with Dick Whittington, with over 40,000 people snapping up tickets to enjoy the festive performances.