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What is Trafford in Bloom?
The Trafford in Bloom campaign aim is to raise the aspirations of our communities, build their confidence and give recognition to their hard work and skills. As an ambitious borough our entry is about everyone, local community groups, businesses, individuals and council officers working together to foster civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community participation
What is North West in Bloom?
North West in Bloom is the regional campaign of Britain in Bloom. Representatives of the winners from the regional contest are selected to be entered for the followings years Britain in Bloom competition.
What is Britain in Bloom?
Administered through the Royal Horticultural Society, Britain in Bloom is the largest horticulture, environmental and sustainable practice campaign in Europe. At its roots is its aim to help communities to make long term improvements to their local environment, through best practice and the involvement of all sections of the community.
About Trafford In Bloom
As a newcomer to Britain In Bloom our entry into North West In Bloom is about local people, local communities, local neighbourhoods all working together with the Council to improve the environment and create civic pride and culture.
Aims:
· To improve the environment
· To encourage and enable even more groups and individuals to be active in Trafford In Bloom
· To promote horticulture, Streetscene and sustainability excellence
· Develop sponsorship
· Greater media coverage
· Develop a sense of pride, ownership and culture
Steering the course
Trafford In Bloom is co-ordinated by a full-time officer under the umbrella of the Trafford In Bloom steering group. Within the steering group there are five task teams:
Community Initiatives Task Team
A cross department action group from Housing, Parks & Countryside, Neighbourhood Wardens and Regeneration. Their aim is to support and co-ordinate community projects and engage with a wider section of the community including businesses.
Design and Features
Floral display, landscaping and the built environment all have a part to play in Trafford In Bloom. Specialist officers, from planners to landscape architects, co-ordinate what flowerbeds will look like in the future.
Environmental Quality
Operational matters such as grounds maintenance and street cleaning are the Environmental Quality task team. This team also supports the Community Initiatives Team with support and guidance from this hands on group.
Publicity and Marketing
Getting the message! Trafford In Bloom's Publicity and Marketing task team aim to provide an update campaign to ensure you know what's going on.
Sustainability
Want to recycle, learn about nature or reduce the use of energy? The Sustainability task team looks at how the community can be involved in creating a cleaner, greener habitat for everyone.
Community Involvement
Our community has played a vital role in Trafford In Bloom, both in supporting our entry into North West In Bloom and by working to better the local environment. Wendy, a local photographer produced photograhps for our portfolio entry and Altrincham Amateur Video Club produced the spectacular 'Trafford In Bloom' video
Getting involved couldn't be easier with Trafford In Bloom.
· Contact us at Trafford In Bloom, for your nearest event, committee or if you wish to start a local 'in bloom' action group.
· Clean up days are a great way of having fun, you can feel proud of a good days work while teaching children the value of caring for where you live.
· Recycle as much as you can! Recycling schemes have sprung up across the borough, click on the link to find your nearest centre to recycle glass, paper, cans, plastics, books, shoes or even textiles.
· Community planting days. Community planting days are a great way to bring colour and life to the neighbourhood. Children especially enjoy getting their hands dirty and watching the flowers bursting from the ground.
Community involvement is the key to Trafford In Bloom. Getting involved is a great way to keep fit, be creative, have fun and meet your neighbours. For more information please contact Mark Brazil, Trafford In Bloom co-ordinator.
Trafford In Bloom Press Releases
Trafford in Bloom Competition Challenge 08/03/2004
Do you know your pansies from your petunias? Are your hostas, hydrangeas and hypericum a sight to be seen or do your tubs, pots and containers receive praise from friends and neighbours?
If local residents, businesses or community groups think they do, the Council is challenging them to get involved in this year's Trafford in Bloom entry by pitting their horticultural skills against others in a series of competitions.
Hot on the heels of the Borough's success in last year's North West in Bloom competition - Trafford took overall second place in the Large City category - the Borough is once again rising to the challenge. This year there will be five entries, the main Boroughwide one, as well as 4 others - Old Trafford in the Large Town category B, Altrincham in the Large Town Category C, Sale in the Small City Category C and Partington and Carrington in the Large Neighbourhood category - showing just what enthusiasm and commitment there is to this prestigious competition.
As part of these entries, a series of competitions have been organised - the wide choice means people shouldn't have difficulty choosing one to suit their gardening skills.
For the keen green fingered local gardeners with a front garden packed full of year round colour and interest there is the 'Best Front Garden' competition, which the soon to open B&Q Warehouse in Trafford Park is sponsoring. People without a front garden mustn't despair though, they can enter the 'Best Container Display', being sponsored by B&Q Altrincham.
Businesses aren't left out either, there are three competitions aimed at them - 'Best Business Frontage (open to all commercial premises) or one of two specialist categories, 'Best Pub/Restaurant Frontage' and 'Best Hotel Frontage'.
All these competitions are free to enter and there are some fantastic prizes on offer. Entry forms are available from libraries and Trafford Direct offices across the Borough. Alternatively people can telephone 0161 912 5569 or download a form from our website at www.traffordinbloom.org.uk. All entry forms must be returned by Friday 28 May 2004.
Allotment owners have the easiest option of all, they don't have to enter anything. The well established Annual Allotment Competition runs again this year and the good news is all allotments are automatically entered, so owners can just concentrate on getting their plot looking the best it can.
Over the coming weeks there will be further announcements about Trafford's new environmental award schemes.
Skips for Sale Moor community clean up 26/02/04
Sale Moor promises to be a hive of activity on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10, 11 and 12 March as the area gets an early 'Spring Clean' as part of Trafford's entry in the prestigious North West in Bloom competition organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.
But what does a spring clean have to do with the Borough's 'Trafford in Bloom' entry, people may wonder. Quite simply, although organised by the RHS, the competition is about far more than bedding plants, tubs and hanging baskets. The whole idea is to get people to look at ways their local communities and environments can be improved and what better way to start than by giving people the chance to get rid of their unwanted household items free of charge.
Trafford's Lead Executive Member for the Trafford in Bloom entry, Councillor Jane Baugh, said over the three days, skips are to be provided in various locations to give people the chance to 'dump their rubbish'.
"This community clean up is something local people are keen to see happen and we see it as a great way to get them involved in our competition efforts while also helping them get rid of their unwanted items.
"There is a great community spirit in Sale Moor and local people have been fundamental to us organising this clean up. We want to provide people with as many opportunities as possible to get rid of their rubbish and see this as just one way of doing this.
"Clean ups like this, together with all the other regeneration and environmental projects on-going across the Borough, show the pride local people have in the area. This is why Trafford is recognised as such a great place to live, work, relax and visit and why expectations are high for more success in this year's North West in Bloom competition," she said.
Over the three days the skips will be located around the Alderley Road, Gawsworth Road, Frodsham Road, Tabley Road, Chelford Road, Helsby Road and Sealand Road areas. Leaflets are being distributed to let people know about the clean up and give them details of where they can take their unwanted items. The Cleaner Streets team will also collect larger, heavier items left on the footpath outside properties each day.
Anyone wanting more information about this Sale Moor community clean up should contact Neighbourhood Warden Geoff Keen on 0161 912 4709.
Early 'Spring Clean' for Broomwood Estate 10/11/03
A further example of the continued community involvement in improving the local environment, which was praised recently by the judges in the prestigious North West in Bloom competition, will be seen on the Broomwood Estate this week.
On Thursday and Friday (13 and 14 November), the estate will be a hive of activity as neighbourhood wardens and cleaner streets teams from the Council team up with local community groups for a massive 'tidy up' of the estate.
The scheme has been funded by Altrincham Area Board and Irwell Valley Housing Association and is expected to involve over 20 volunteers across the estate.
Interim Head of Street Scene Carol Longley said she was delighted to see that the enthusiasm shown earlier in the year in improving the whole Borough as part of the Trafford in Bloom entry is continuing.
"To see so many people wanting to play their part to improve their local environment is great and something which I am sure will help make a real difference.
"Over the two days I am sure more people will decide to get involved as they see the efforts of those working beginning to pay dividends. To help local people there will also be several skips provided around the estate which they can use to get rid of any rubbish they have in their own gardens or homes. This really is a good example of how, by working together, people can achieve really positive results, ones which will benefit all local people," she said.
Anyone wanting to find out more about the clean up operations, including how they too could get involved, should contact Dave Tomlinson on 0161 912 4207.
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