Gertie's Community News - 2022
"Portishead in Bloom" and "It's Your Neighbourhood" - Judging 2022.
The RHS's (Royal Horticultural Society) 'It's Your Neighbourhood' Award has been introduced in addition to the main competition of 'Britain in Bloom' as a unique initiative for small, resident-led communities. This RHS Award scheme encourages groups of people to get together to create, look after or adopt an area where plants can enhance the landscape.
There are five categories in these awards:- Establishing, Improving, Advancing, Thriving and Outstanding.
This year, Gertie Gale's Allotments have entered this for the first time.
The judges inspected the allotments on Monday 18th July. They were there for about 20 minutes and walked all the way around the allotments looking at the plots, the communal facilities and the hedges. Overall they were very impressed with the allotments. They were amazed at the number of plots that were being worked and the wide variety of produce, trees and flowers being grown.
They commented it was good that we had:- two communal sheds; no glass greenhouses; ponds on plots; sensible fruit cages; plenty of water troughs; separate taps; no ability to use hoses; composting toilet; the additional hedges that we have established over the years and the fact the hedges were not too tall; that we cut the grass but in the communal areas not too often; the large car park; manure annually; the constant supply of bark; the area we store these facilities; the low rent and that it has remained at this level for the past 5 years; some form of community spirit where we help one another out.
The only observation they had was that we should establish more of a community spirit and that we should have 2 half communal plots that newbies try out first before taking a plot to see if they like having an allotment.
Plenty of notes were taken and they advised it was one of the better allotments they have seen recently.
They will let us know how our allotment compares to others they are judging in the next few months.
There are five categories in these awards:- Establishing, Improving, Advancing, Thriving and Outstanding.
This year, Gertie Gale's Allotments have entered this for the first time.
The judges inspected the allotments on Monday 18th July. They were there for about 20 minutes and walked all the way around the allotments looking at the plots, the communal facilities and the hedges. Overall they were very impressed with the allotments. They were amazed at the number of plots that were being worked and the wide variety of produce, trees and flowers being grown.
They commented it was good that we had:- two communal sheds; no glass greenhouses; ponds on plots; sensible fruit cages; plenty of water troughs; separate taps; no ability to use hoses; composting toilet; the additional hedges that we have established over the years and the fact the hedges were not too tall; that we cut the grass but in the communal areas not too often; the large car park; manure annually; the constant supply of bark; the area we store these facilities; the low rent and that it has remained at this level for the past 5 years; some form of community spirit where we help one another out.
The only observation they had was that we should establish more of a community spirit and that we should have 2 half communal plots that newbies try out first before taking a plot to see if they like having an allotment.
Plenty of notes were taken and they advised it was one of the better allotments they have seen recently.
They will let us know how our allotment compares to others they are judging in the next few months.
"Portishead in Bloom" and "It's Your Neighbourhood" Results 2022 - Gertie Gale's Allotments Award.
Portishead won their 4th Gold Medal in the “RHS Britain in Bloom” competition in the ‘Large Town’ category of the UK national competition. A town has to be ‘invited’ to take part and Portishead was selected by “South West in Bloom” for entry into that competition. The previous Gold Awards won by Portishead were in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Portishead won their 14th consecutive Gold Medal in the “RHS South West in Bloom” competition.
Portishead first entered in 1996 and was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ award. For the next 11 years Portishead was awarded ‘Silver’ and ‘Silver Gilt’ until ‘Gold’ was awarded in 2008. Portishead has won ‘Gold’ ever since.
In the past, Gertie Gale’s Allotments has been part of this tour that the ‘In Bloom’ judges take around the town. Last year and this year the allotments have not been part of that tour, due to time constraints. However, it was suggested by PiB that Gertie Gale's Allotments enter the “RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood” (IYN) awards. IYN is a unique scheme for volunteered led community gardening projects/groups who are focused on improving their local environment through community gardening. All entries are assessed by an RHS It's Your Neighbourhood assessor. This year there were 364 entries in the “South West in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood” awards and this was the first year that Gertie Gale’s Allotments entered.
The fantastic news is that Gertie Gale's Allotments was awarded a “Level 4 – Thriving” award in its first year of taking part.
To provide a guide as to the award the judge gave, here is the list of levels and overall marks:-
Level Description Points
Level 1 - Establishing 0-35
Level 2 - Improving 36-52
Level 3 – Developing 53-68
Level 4 – Thriving 69-85
Level 5 – Outstanding 86-100
Assessors awards a score based on the Neighbourhoods achievements in achieving the following:
Community Participation (40%)
Environmental Responsibility (30%)
Gardening Achievement (30%)
The percentage given after each section refers to how much each area accounts for when assessing a group/project’s benchmarking level.
This award has not been possible without the hard work and dedication of the plot holders over the years in improving and strengthening Gertie Gale's, The Committee would like to thank all the tenants for their work on their plots and for the volunteers who help to keep the site tidy and well kept.
It shows in the level of the award that has been awarded at the first time of entry. Well done everyone.
www.portisheadinbloom.org.uk
www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/its-your-neighbourhood
www.southwestinbloom.org.uk/Its-Your-Neighbourhood.aspx
www.sseib.com/campaignspt/its-your-neighbourhood/
Portishead won their 14th consecutive Gold Medal in the “RHS South West in Bloom” competition.
Portishead first entered in 1996 and was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ award. For the next 11 years Portishead was awarded ‘Silver’ and ‘Silver Gilt’ until ‘Gold’ was awarded in 2008. Portishead has won ‘Gold’ ever since.
In the past, Gertie Gale’s Allotments has been part of this tour that the ‘In Bloom’ judges take around the town. Last year and this year the allotments have not been part of that tour, due to time constraints. However, it was suggested by PiB that Gertie Gale's Allotments enter the “RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood” (IYN) awards. IYN is a unique scheme for volunteered led community gardening projects/groups who are focused on improving their local environment through community gardening. All entries are assessed by an RHS It's Your Neighbourhood assessor. This year there were 364 entries in the “South West in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood” awards and this was the first year that Gertie Gale’s Allotments entered.
The fantastic news is that Gertie Gale's Allotments was awarded a “Level 4 – Thriving” award in its first year of taking part.
To provide a guide as to the award the judge gave, here is the list of levels and overall marks:-
Level Description Points
Level 1 - Establishing 0-35
Level 2 - Improving 36-52
Level 3 – Developing 53-68
Level 4 – Thriving 69-85
Level 5 – Outstanding 86-100
Assessors awards a score based on the Neighbourhoods achievements in achieving the following:
Community Participation (40%)
Environmental Responsibility (30%)
Gardening Achievement (30%)
The percentage given after each section refers to how much each area accounts for when assessing a group/project’s benchmarking level.
This award has not been possible without the hard work and dedication of the plot holders over the years in improving and strengthening Gertie Gale's, The Committee would like to thank all the tenants for their work on their plots and for the volunteers who help to keep the site tidy and well kept.
It shows in the level of the award that has been awarded at the first time of entry. Well done everyone.
www.portisheadinbloom.org.uk
www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/its-your-neighbourhood
www.southwestinbloom.org.uk/Its-Your-Neighbourhood.aspx
www.sseib.com/campaignspt/its-your-neighbourhood/
2021
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2019
2018
2017
2016
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The Gertie's Community News for 2021 can be found here.
The Gertie's Community News for 2020 can be found here.
The Gertie's Community News for 2019 can be found here.
The Gertie's Community News for 2018 can be found here.
The Gertie's Community News for 2017 can be found here.
The Gertie's Community News for 2016 can be found here.
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