Pride in Our City

Derry Says A Big Thank You Following Britain In Bloom Success

Derry has been celebrating winning the city category of the Britain in Bloom competition with sponsors and supporters at the Guildhall today (7th October). The reception also recognised the Outstanding Achievement Award, which was received by Jeanette Warke for her contribution to the campaign. The event was organised as a thank you to everyone who supported the city’s bid and follows on from their success in Ulster in Bloom.

It’s the first time Derry has enjoyed success at this national event. Organisers hope it will be yet another attraction for the growing number of tourists to the city.
Derry City Council’s grounds maintenance manager, Danny McCartney says it’s a fantastic achievement.

“We have all worked incredibly hard to show the city off to its best advantage. The short listing procedure was quite rigorous and a team of judges visited Derry on two separate occasions.

“But I don’t think we would have been so successful if it hadn’t been for our sponsors and supporters. The judges said they were most impressed with our community involvement within the bid and our landscaping of roundabouts and approaches to the city.

“Hopefully this will lead to continuous sustainable improvements for years to come.”

The competition, which covers the whole of the UK, has a stringent set of criteria including floral displays, environmental quality and community involvement.

Chairman of Environmental Services, Martin Reilly said it was an example of how much the city had to offer:

“This is a great achievement for the city which is competing against other cities with a much bigger budget and more experience in this level of competition.

“I think it will help highlight Derry’s growth and maturity as a city on an international platform.”

Derry’s success in Britain in Bloom is the latest in a series of recent triumphs, with the Derry team also winning the city category in the Ulster in Bloom competition. A team of judges travelled across Northern Ireland’s cities, towns and villages to assess the quality of their floral displays.

One of the highlights of Derry’s display has been a medallion bed shaped like a Spanish Armada to celebrate the Armada exhibition in the city.

Adding her support, Mayor, Councillor Lynn Fleming said:
“ I am delighted that the Derry team’s hard work and commitment has paid off. The floral displays we can see around the city highlight the pride we take in its image and presentation.

“I’m sure these arrangements will provide an impressive, warm welcome for the growing number of international visitors who come to Derry.”

The 2005 Britain in Bloom competition attracted 60 finalists across 12 categories.