MORE AWARDS FOR SHERINGHAM

Sheringham achieved great success this year at the “In Bloom” awards held on the 13th September at Charter Hall, Colchester.

 

There were four special award nominations.  These are for the best projects seen by the judges during their judging tour.  These projects are forwarded for final judging by a select committee of judges looking at the whole of East Anglia, including Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, Herts & Bedfordshire.

 

The four nominations were Best Garden for Special Needs: The Physic Garden, The Health Centre.  Best Young Persons Project (under 12 years): The Open Door Community Art Project.  Best Grow Your Own Award:  The New Allotments, Weybourne Road.  Best Biodiversity Award: Beeston Common.  All these entries received a certificate of commendation for their work.

 

Of these nominations two categories were overall winners: - The Open Door Community Art Project and the New Allotments, and these projects also received a special award which will be presented to them at the Sheringham in Bloom awards evening on the 23rd September.

 

The judges comments regarding these two winners were as follows:

 

The Open Door Community Art Project – Local Artist and Project Leader, Colin Seal, has, with the help of the local Council, set up the Open Door Community Art Project where children and passers-by are encouraged to walk in to add their contribution to the murals that are produce and displayed around the town to give pleasure and interest to all local residents and visitors alike. To continuously encourage artwork and attract the youngsters to attend throughout the year all the murals are updated with new designs four times a year.  At the time of the Crab and Lobster Festival the town Clock Tower is clad with artwork from the project.  Children are actively encouraged to design and paint in colours of their own choice and there is never a shortage of volunteer children wanting to become involved.  This is a very worthwhile project organised by a dedicated local, talented man.

 

The New Allotments, Weybourne Road – Sheringham has a new allotment site gifted from a local benefactor in exchange for an old site. This is not any new allotment site but one which was provide to include the full Monty, yes, sheds, water butts, compost makers and irrigation troughs throughout the site.  The site was prepared well before any tenant moved in, this included ploughing, fertilising, willow fencing around the boundaries and on the seaward side a hedge of indigenous species of shrubs was planted.  This is truly a community allotment site, with gardeners spanning from the very young just 5 year up to the mature age, should we say 95 years!  Most tenants have been on the site for the first year and have been able to keep their families supplied with a good cross section of fruit and vegetables, certainly the crops we witnessed on the day left you mouth watering.  The site has been really well thought out with avenues of plots -  some are half plots and many raised plots for the less able bodied gardeners.  On our visit we met a small management group who told us of the large cross section of the community that had taken up plots of different sizes, some with small families and single parent families.  Many keen young gardeners were actively involved in weeding and watering, as was witnessed on the day we judged.  Because of the success in the first year they are introducing a further phase which will make available a further 20 half plots, which will cater for the waiting list of families now on the waiting list.  The small allotment group are now planning open days throughout the summer school holidays to show the advantage of the grow you own on this site.  We would recommend this as a very serious contender for the grow your own awards as it has made a significant contribution and is fully accessible to the local community.

 

Sheringham also received a High Silver Gilt award for its entry into the “In Bloom” campaign.  This is the 5th year the Silver Gilt has been achieved which is a remarkably consistent achievement.  The “High” category means that the Gold award was missed by a very few points, and highlights what could be achieved in the future with just a little more effort.