Kinnesswood in Bloom
Kinnesswood is situated in Kinross-shire and is a beautiful village set below Bishop Hill and overlooking Loch Leven. The village is home to the Michael Bruce Way, a delightful walk, and boasts a nine hole golf course and some lovely buildings dating from the 18th and 19th Centuries. A walk around Kinnesswood will bring you to many pretty little corners & gardens that have been created since the Kinnesswood in Bloom team first got together in 2005. There are tubs and baskets throughout, a library in the old phone box, children’s art displayed in the bus shelter and a tiled map depicting the history of the village.
The Kinnesswood in Bloom team meet every month to discuss and plan projects, work parties and fundraising.
Benarty View is our latest and most ambitious project to date and this emoji highlghts any Benarty View mentions in the portfolio.
Most recent successes 2018
Take a Pride in Perthshire Gold and category winner Best Involvement with schools Beautiful Scotland Silver Gilt and Small Village trophy Kinross-shire Civic Trust Winner - Best Kept Village
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Horticultural Achievement
Summer 2018
Work parties held every Saturday morning and at least once more during the week in Summer to cover whatever is required - planting, weeding, painting, cleaning. Old chairs and steps from 2015 (and a few more) were given a facelift. “Golfers” were spruced up and lots of crafted birds, bees and butterflies appeared again along with posters created by the schoolchildren.
July & August 2018
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Horticultural Achievement
Autumn and Winter 2018-2019
Regular work parties continue while weather permits. Verges are strimmed, hedges trimmed. Tubs are tidied and baskets emptied, plants are recycled for next year. We plant bulbs every year and involve the local schoolchildren whenever possible. This Autumn marked the start of our new garden “Benarty View”
September - November 2018
And finally, in October work on Benarty View begins …..
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Horticultural Achievement
February & March 2019 - creating Benarty View’s heather garden
Spring and early Summer 2019
Every year we seek sponsorship from local businesses for baskets and tubs. We pay a local nursery to put together our baskets and troughs. We plant a small amount of Summer bedding. Local residents assist by providing polytunnel and greenhouse space as well as seeds and cuttings. June 2019
March 2019
April & May 2019
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Environmental Responsibility
We continue to plant to attract bees, butterflies and insects. We now use sustainable planting in most project areas and only use annual bedding to add a bit of extra colour and impact. Clean ups are held in the village and at the school a few times a year & furniture maintenance is carried out as and when required.
Additional compost bins - 2018 Butterflies and bees a plenty - 2018
Local hero who litter picks every morning while walking his dogs
Litter pick at Burleigh Sands - April 2019
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Environmental Responsibility
Learning about ponds ... 2019
Recycling station for postage stamps, batteries, glasses and ink cartridges
Cleaning/Restoring outdoor furniture 2019
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Community Engagement
The Kinnesswood in Bloom team works closely with the local primary school and School Grounds’ Group. We keep villagers informed via our website, the village noticeboard and publish monthly in the Kinross Newsletter. We also have a Facebook page.
2018 - Garden party & Open gardens event 2019 - Benarty View opening
Making lavender bags
Growing potatoes Working on the school film
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Community Engagement
Many local business and residents who have businesses outside of the village have responded to our “Sponsor a tub/basket” campaign. Businesses situated within the village also play their part in the campaign. As well as making monetary donations, they have provided invaluable help by way of equipment, turf, plants, seeds and manpower. Not all locals can commit to meetings or work parties but many are more than willing to provide muscle power or other skills, a cup of tea or help remove any rubbish.
Oats to biscuits - 2018
Intergenerational theme for Festival artwork - 2019
Working with the cubs to design and paint a wrought iron sculpture - 2019
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Finance
Raising money has been one of our greatest successes and, aside from organised fundraising events, funding applications and donations from local business, we have a regular income stream from Friends of Kinnesswood in Bloom, local business sponsorship and our weekly bonus ball competition.
We have been able to pay local companies to cut and strim a few of our project areas. We have also raised enough to pay a local nursery to provide our hanging baskets AND water and maintain them.
Fundraising / supporting activities
Sales of Kinnesswood in Bloom walk booklet Weekly bonus ball Quiz & Curry night Cake, Jam and lavender bag sales Raffles Basket & Tub Sponsorship by businesses Donations (goods & monetary) from local businesses Donations (goods & monetary) from residents (Friends of KiB) Donations from clubs & associations Local grants Take a Pride in Perthshire Project funding Donations in kind from members & volunteers - Approx annual hours 1755 (costed at £14468.75)
2019’s Quiz & Curry Benarty View Funding night raised £477.20 Perth and Kinross CECF* Fund £10,000 Awards for All (lottery) £ 7,759 Kinross-shire Fund £ 2,000 Scottish Landfill £ 9,697 KIB £ 250 Residents’ Fundraising £ 500 Kinross Community Council £ 500 Memorial Bench £ 2,400 In Kind (work by KIB) £ 2,000
*Community Environment Challenge Fund
Weekly Bonus Ball raises £780 per annum
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Plans for the future
Conclusion
We feel that our current strategy is working well and plan to continue with our regular meetings, work parties and creation of sub groups as required. We want to ensure that we can sustain momentum by increasing the team members/ volunteers and keeping all sections of the community interested while making sure it’s fun. We plan to build on everything that we’ve already achieved keeping sustainability and biodiversity to the fore. Funding is available from several external sources and we will apply for that as and when new projects are agreed.
Projects in the pipeline
Planning to plant more bulbs & plants along verges in and out of the village. Continuing work on our Wildflower Verge and vegetable troughs. “Benarty View” - continue with planting and maintenance We’ve made a start to an area at the bottom of Buchan Avenue and hope to complete that this year.
Contributing to the community in the future
Kinnesswood in Bloom is now an integral part of the community. By ensuring that we keep everyone involved and informed, particularly local children, we hope to be able to sustain and improve on what we have achieved so far.
Everyone appreciates living in a beautiful, cared-for environment. We are lucky to be surrounded by wonderful scenery, hills, walks, Loch Leven and its new track for cycling/ walking. Kinnesswood has been transformed over the past few years. The project areas have been planned with sustainability and the environment in mind; something that is actually making maintenance a lot more manageable and we plan to continue in that vein.
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Appendix
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Appendix
Excerpt from Portmoak Primary School’s “Solheim Cup Community Project Fund” application -
Portmoak Primary School is a small school with 5 classes: the school roll is 118. As part of a recent HMI inspection (from which the school received 2 Excellent and 2 Very Good gradings) it was particularly commended for its exceptional work with the local community. Embedded within the school curriculum, the school successfully works with Kinnesswood in Bloom to support the development and upkeep of the school grounds. It also works on a number of annual projects which support Portmoak Festival. This year the school and Kinnesswood in Bloom have been collab- orating on an intergenerational project as part of Portmoak Festival’s ’Year of Young People’ theme. The children of Portmoak Primary are key drivers in producing a range of learning to showcase as part of an annual Festival Exhibition. Last year, the children, wrote, illustrated and produced a book called ‘A Cottage Full of Dreams, The Story of Michael Bruce’s Life and Landscape’. This year, the children are working with the different generations of the Portmoak community to produce a film about what makes Portmoak special. The project has been designed and led by the children. For this new project the school would be working with Kinnesswood in Bloom, who have taken part in various award schemes: winning Best Local Village, Gold and Best Small Village in Perth and Kinross and Best Small Village in Scotland.
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)
Appendix
Kinnesswood in Bloom Portfolio (2018-2019)