Silver Sark in Britain in Bloom Finals

Monday 28 October 2019

Sark Community Blooms has been awarded the prestigious silver gilt at the Royal Horticultural Society's awards evening, for its entry in the Small Coastal section.

Announced in the Royal Horticultural Halls in London last week, Sark Community Blooms was representing not only Sark but also the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Following an overall win in the Floral Guernsey Competition in 2018, Sark was awarded a place in the National Finals this year. Around eighty finalists were chosen from 1600 communities which competed in local competitions.

When R.H.S Judges Anne Holland and Kate Dagnell visited the island in August they said they were particularly impressed with the wide range of horticultural and environmental activities carried out by the group and the very high level of community involvement. They were also said to be very pleased to see attempts at minimising single use plastic and increasing opportunities for recycling. Being in the coastal category enabled the judges to spend longer on the island and a spokesman from Sark Community Blooms said: "We were delighted, through the generosity of a number of local businesses and the Seigneur and Mrs Beaumont, to be able to extend the very best of Sark hospitality."

Paul Williams, one of the group’s organisers added: "We are delighted that our island has been recognised in this prestigious R.H.S competition which complements our Dark Skies status and our Ramsar Wetland site. The Silver Gilt recognition is a great tribute to the very large number of residents of Sark who have worked so hard to enable us to achieve this accolade."

Major Christopher Beaumont, Seigneur of Sark and Sark Community Blooms Patron said the competition was a shared goal for Sark, which was an excellent way to bring the community together.

"Sark’s small, highly motivated, knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic group of 'Bloomers' have once again galvanized the whole community from the youngest members of our school to the oldest members of the cake baking fraternity to bring colour and joy to the island.

"It has been our pleasure and honour to represent the Bailiwick. We are delighted to have been awarded a Silver Gilt. To have achieved this standard is a testament to the dedication of the team that organized the planting, weeding, clearing, tidying, cake making and tea brewing. Sark is a better place for their efforts and everyone who visits our beautiful island will benefit from their endeavours."

Pictured top: Images from the Sark Community Blooms Facebook page.