THE tireless efforts of Thornbury in Bloom’s volunteers to make the town beautiful have brought it the accolade of Champion of Champions in this year’s regional competition.
Judges at the Royal Horticultural Society South West in Bloom awards also singled out two stalwarts of the Thornbury group, Jean Owen and Fran Sparrow, with a special award recognising their combined 60-plus years of hard work for the cause.
Thornbury In Bloom chair Kath Greenman said volunteers were “delighted and thrilled” to receive a gold medal at the awards presentation in Bath on October 8.
Four other contenders were in the Champion of Champions category for places with a population of 10,000-plus: Babbacombe, Bath, South Swindon and Yeovil, all of whom also won a gold medal.
After a “nervous wait” the Thornbury team was declared the overall champion.
Kath said: “The feedback we received was outstanding, with the highest scores in all three sections – horticulture, environment and community.
“Particularly pleasing were comments around how exceptionally polished our entry was and also how hard we’ve worked over the years to reach the top and yet, despite all the challenges we have faced, we truly remain a class act!
“This success is the result of a fantastic community effort and could not have been achieved without the support of many of our other community groups, our sponsors, volunteers, members, Thornbury Town Council, South Glos Council, and many of our local businesses.
“A huge huge thank you from the Thornbury in Bloom team to everyone who has helped in any way – we really do appreciate it.”
Jean and Fran are Community Champions
Long-serving volunteers Jean and Fran were recognised for their outstanding contribution to the group and town.
Jean runs T&J Owen florists at The Plain, where she has worked for 52 years, and has volunteered with In Bloom for 33 years, helping with everything from ordering and planting to cleaning gutters, weeding and tending to the display at the Pump.
Jean said her award was a “lovely surprise”, but added: “I love all that we do. Some people might call it hard work but if you enjoy what you’re doing it’s a passion. It’s lovely to do it for Thornbury.”
Fran, who worked for Jean for 30 years and has been volunteering for a similar length of time, said it was a “big shock” to receive her award, but the town’s win meant just as much.
She said: “We can’t beat Bath on flower content but it’s the community where we’re strong. We all roll our sleeves up and get stuck in together.”
Kath said: “Between them, Jean and Fran have been absolute stalwarts in serving Thornbury in Bloom for over 60 years and it’s a fact that without them, we wouldn’t have Thornbury in Bloom! “Therefore, this recognition is extremely apt, very well deserved and we’re sure the whole of Thornbury will join us in congratulating Jean and Fran on their wonderful achievements.”
The cup and certificates are on show in the window of T&J Owen.