Case studies
How Britain in Bloom helped residents breathe new life into their troubled communities
Alness, Scotland
Alness in the Highlands of Scotland has used the Britain in Bloom campaign to bring its community back to life following years of decline when the town’s main employer closed down. This is some achievement for a town that had one of the most depressed economies in the country. Alness grew rapidly to accommodate the rapid influx of workers in the nearby Invergordon smelter and oil platform construction yard, both of which then closed. The empty houses were used by local authorities across the country as dumping grounds for problem and homeless families.
The catalyst for turning the community around has been Britain in Bloom. Alness, further North than Moscow, was a long, cold, grey, litter-ridden main street surrounded by 1970s housing schemes and too few resources in terms of shops, dentists and entertainment. It was a place to be depressed in.
But now it sparkles, transformed by the Bloom volunteers who have gathered around them an increasing number of people of all ages, who dig, plant, weed and water throughout the summer, and plot and plan during the winter.
Carolyn Wilson, the driving force behind the campaign says, “The council helps us by dealing with routine jobs such as road sweeping, grass cutting and maintenance of public conveniences, while the community groups get together for litter picking, deadheading and so on, and I have been able to secure funding via the Landfill Tax for permanent planting. I have tremendous support from the entire community”.
The Landfill Tax helped fund one of Alness’ main projects in 2004 - the improvement of the entrance to the town from the A9 trunk road. A standing stones feature, carved wooden signs, flowers, shrubs and 200 indigenous trees were introduced to welcome visitors who are already drawn to the town by the Britain in Bloom and Scotland in Bloom signs.
Another key project was the smartening up of a piece of land - “an eyesore” according to Carolyn - next to a housing estate. Shilling Hill Park was cleared, seating and a children’s play area was set up and beautiful carved wooden animals dotted about the park, including a 3m (10ft) deer, a 4.5m (15ft) crocodile and giant mushrooms suitable for sitting on.
When asked what the Bloom means to her, she replies,“I get such an immense satisfaction from doing it, seeing the small town I was born and raised in flourish when just a few years ago it was desperately deprived. Through Bloom we have secured a lot of publicity, and now we’re a tourist attraction!”
View Alness's transformation
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Further Information
For further information about Alness or for more stories contact Renee Dodds at the RHS on 020 7821 3657.
Seedley, North West England
Seedley and Langworthy is an inner city area of Salford located in North West England that has experienced severe and rapid decline in recent years, resulting in the area being littered with boarded houses. Many residents left the area for various reasons.
However the greatest asset is the strong community spirit that exists and how the community is working with partners to turn the area around. The Seedley and Langworthy area has benefited from a seven-year regeneration programme, which has helped to create a sustainable community through a range of physical and social programmes.
Seedley and Langworthy Bloom Group, in partnership with Salford City Council, the Seedley and Langworthy Trust and Great Places pioneered the ‘alleygate scheme’. The first alleygating scheme created a safe communal garden for the residents to enjoy, and it has brought the residents together, creating a real feeling of community. The residents set up regular meetings to plan how to use the alleys in between housing blocks - to turn them from littered, unkept, unsafe areas into beautiful, usable spaces for all, an oasis of calm full of planters and hanging baskets, where the residents enjoy candlelit drinks. The alleys are locked off and transformed with flowers, lights and tables and chairs for socialising, a place where everyone feels safe and takes ownership of the communal space.
Local Bloom organiser Jenny Sowerby said, “The alleygate scheme has brought the community together. Whole streets that didn’t even speak to one another have now become life-long friends, everyone feels safer and proud to live here.”
Seedley and Langworthy won the Urban Regeneration category of Britain in Bloom 2006.
View Seedley's transformation
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Further Information
For further information about Seedley and Langworthy or for more stories contact Renee Dodds at the RHS on 020 7821 3657.