SSEIB

Britain in Bloom as a campaign is working hard to increase entries across the UK and of course we in the South & South East want to play our part. Our sponsor, Southern Water, is also supporting this initiative. This year’s challenge is to find more entries especially from areas where there is little current bloom activity, therefore if you know of anyone who should receive some information about our campaign or maybe who might benefit from a visit from one of our team please let us know. Or better still can you help? In Hampshire, these include Southampton, Winchester, Andover, Eastleigh, Hythe, Netley, Woolston, Hedge End, Totton and Romsey, also Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst in the New Forest, and a little further out, Stockbridge, Kingsclere and Whitchurch. Turning to Sussex, while we've had good progress with Littlehampton, Rustington and latterly Angmering, we would be keen to see entries from, Ferring, Goring, Worthing, Peacehaven, Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Southwick and Portslade. Apart from the larger towns of Horsham and Crawley, there are many attractive and well maintained towns and villages which currently don’t enter - from Rogate in the West through to Cowfold in the East, including Midhurst, Petworth, Pulborough, West Chiltington, Thakeham, Ashington, Steyning, Upper Beeding, Bramber, Small Dole and Henfield, and Ashurst. Further east is the Hastings 'pocket'. The hinterland of Hastings including Brede and Udimore, across to Rye and round to Camber Sands. In north Kent there are many including Meopham, Gravesend and Northfleet, Shorne, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and the Isle of Sheppey and Sheerness). The final impenetrable 'pocket' is Thanet - dominated by Margate and Ramsgate but also taking in Manston, Minster, Sandwich and Deal.

2012 was a record year for South & South East in Bloom achieving no less than 329 entries year, 80 more than in 2011. But how can that be sustained? What with cuts in local authority spending and support for "Bloom" becoming more difficult what can be done? One possible option is to encourage small local community groups to get involved. These could be groups of volunteers from within you current entry or completely new groups from elsewhere. IYN groups or the projects they are involved in do not have to be on a grand scale nor do they need lots of money. As long as a few people have got together to get directly involved in making local improvements they qualify as IYN groups. So no matter what stage the group is at or whether they are new or established we would be pleased to welcome them, and don’t forget everyone receives an award –no one fails. All that is required is to download an application form and send it to us and you will then become a registered Community Group with us – South & South East in Bloom but also with RHS Britain in Bloom