Oldham Council is launching our annual Bloom and Grow campaign – and we are going for gold on two fronts.
This year the borough has entered North West in Bloom and been nominated to take part in Britain in Bloom.
We are looking to follow last year’s success, when we scooped Best City in North West in Bloom for the sixth year in a row, and also repeat our national successes when we won Best City in 2012 and 2014.
As usual our entries into the competitions aim to showcase the very best the borough has to offer.
In keeping with tradition, the WOW bed in the town centre will form the centrepiece of this year’s entry – details of which will be unveiled at a later date.
And because this year’s Bloom and Grow campaign is shaping up to be bigger than ever we also have a number of competitions residents and businesses can get involved in.
We are asking budding photographers to send in their snaps of the best the borough has to offer. You don’t have to be an expert photographer and the winner will received £200 plus the chance for your work to be seen by thousands in a future edition of our residents’ newspaper, Borough Life.
If your pub/restaurant is looking particularly well at this time of year, or if you think your business is blooming great then why not send in an entry for one of those categories?
The private gardens contest allows residents to show off their green fingered skills and this year we’ve also got a new category – Best Blooming Market Stall.
We are asking our hard working traders to decorate their stalls with flowers, plants and hanging baskets in readiness for this year’s annual Love Your Local Market Week (May 31 – June 4).
Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives, said: “Bloom and Grow is more than just flowers – it’s about celebrating and improving our districts, neighbourhoods and gardens so we can all feel proud.
“This is a real team effort; it’s not just the council’s environmental services – who do a sterling job – it’s residents, schools, businesses and community groups pulling together and making an effort.
“A lot of people show pride in our borough. Let’s make sure that it’s reflected by how we make it look.”
For more information about how you can take part in Bloom and Grow and details of how to enter any of the competitions visit http://www.oldham.gov.uk/bloomandgrow
