New Chairman for RHS Britain in Bloom spreads floral message

Roger Burnett, Parks and Countryside Manager for Scarborough Borough Council, is the new Chairman of Judges for RHS Britain in Bloom. Roger talks to Reckless about his role and why the competition is so important to communities throughout the UK.

Every year communities across Britain work together to prepare their village, town or city for the RHS Britain in Bloom competition which sees the 2008 campaign launched this month. There are currently around one thousand communities who participate, divided into 18 regions and nations spanning the UK - from the Channel Islands in the south to Scotland in the north. They range from very small villages to large cities, inner city urban communities to coastal resorts.

New Chairman, Roger Burnett, who now has the challenge of steering the campaign, is only too aware of the benefits to the community that “In Bloom” brings, having been vice-chairman for the past three years and a national judge for five.

He explained: “The Britain in Bloom campaign is based on four main principles – floral excellence, sustainability, conservation of resources and public awareness, the aim being that by working toward these goals a community will be able to take a pride in their achievements, however small.” He points out that there is a fifth and often unseen principle which is most important as without it the other four would struggle – community spirit!

The campaign gives local people a voice and a chance to access funding which is unavailable to statutory bodies, such as local government. Herein lies another positive aspect – the chance to actually have a regenerative impact on an area and in some cases the opportunity to lift whole areas out of depravation without huge cost.

Time passes quickly and it is hard to believe that the campaign has now been established over 40 years, a fact which is not lost on Roger: “As with any campaign which has been established 40 years, interest tends to hit peaks and troughs, however, “In Bloom” remains steady and the numbers of communities participating is fairly stable. Obviously, I would like to see more people become involved in the campaign, however, I am conscious that this must be done without the loss of any of the large numbers of established entries we already support.”

The campaign is generally run by a large army of wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers but there is obviously only a limited amount of time that they can contribute. Roger is sensitive to the fact that to increase numbers significantly means also increasing the volunteer capacity within communities and engaging with a wider cross section of people, but believes that this is possible with a little bit of support from funding agencies and government.

His interest in the campaign was kindled when his home town of Scarborough – where he is incidentally, Parks and Countryside Manager – was entered by Yorkshire in Bloom into the national competition in 2002. This also coincided with the Royal Horticultural Society taking over the running of the campaign and the formation of a class for coastal communities.

One of the judges that year was Bob Sweet, then chair of the panel of judges and he invited Roger to join the judging panel. Since then he has witnessed first-hand how being a “Bloomer” can make such an impact on a community and help them realise their potential to make their environment a better place to live in and visit.

Roger’s introduction into horticulture was the result of being offered an apprenticeship with Scarborough Parks Department, he says he didn’t so much choose his career as it chose him! They put him through Askham Bryan College and then he returned to the department where he has stayed ever since. He admits, sadly, that horticulture is not seen by young people today as glamorous and many miss amazing opportunities to follow a great career path which can encompass a range of subjects from botany and taxonomy, landscape architecture and garden design to nursery management and practical horticulture.

“There really is something to suit everyone in our industry,” he stresses. “Perhaps we are guilty of not selling the benefits of our industry to schools, college leavers and perhaps just as importantly, careers guidance officers. Here in Scarborough we positively encourage young people to take up careers in horticulture by offering work placements and Modern Apprenticeships and by supporting them through training.” Schools are also offered the chance to visit Scarborough’s “in house” plant nursery where children can see horticulture in action for themselves.

He has been privileged to visit some wonderful entries in the past few years and says no two places are the same: “The thing that makes the difference is always the community spirit that greets you as you step off the train in a new place,” Roger explains. “It’s undoubtedly the people who make the entry. It’s always wonderful to see how much hard work has gone into making a village or town look clean and beautiful, but above everything else, what consistently stands out, is how much people can achieve when they get together and work towards a common goal.”

There is also the added benefit that once the flower beds are in place and the recycling initiatives are up and running, when the press have taken their photographs and gone home, the community spirit will continue to flourish. Evidence of that can be seen in Scarborough’s own initiative which fosters 28 community groups who are now starting to support one another in their activities and events. Roger stresses that this is one area where a community led Parks Service can make an amazing contribution to supporting the legions of volunteers who just want to do their bit for their own environment.

Roger is looking forward to his first year in office with much enthusiasm: “I see myself as the guardian of something very special which deserves the widest possible recognition for the opportunities it brings to local people and the floral and environmental standards it aspires to,” he says.

He has vowed that his mission will be to spread the word that Britain in Bloom is open and accessible to all wherever they live: “’In Bloom’ is one of the great British institutions, firmly established for 40 years as one of the largest environmental campaigns encompassing thousands of people who regularly give up their free time to help improve their environment,” he says. “Over the past five years it has been a privilege to visit many of these communities and share with them their passion for “Bloom” witnessing at first hand their enthusiasm and commitment. As Chair of the panel of judges my responsibility is to build on the firm foundations I have inherited from illustrious past chairmen, to help and support the participants in the competition, but most of all to encourage other communities to follow suit and share the benefits that accrue.”

Roger succeeds Jim Butress, who has retired after serving as Chairman for three years. The launch of the 2008 campaign on 28th February will be in Roger’s home town of Scarborough – the town will also be competing in the 2008 UK finals having achieved a Gold Standard and winning the Coastal Category in RHS Britain in Bloom in 2006.

We wish Roger, his panel of judges and all the contestants and volunteers a successful 2008 campaign.