New Brighton Volunteers Honored with Dual National Awards

The volunteers stated that two national accolades, acknowledging their dedication to making their town an inviting and pleasant location, “means everything”. New Brighton, situated in Wirral, received double recognition as part of the RHS Britain in Bloom UK 2024 awards. The New Brighton in Bloom volunteers secured a gold award in the nationwide small coastal resort category and also outperformed other coastal areas in the North West to be granted the title of best small coastal resort. At a ceremony held on Monday, Vicky Phillips Jones, the founder of the group, expressed that winning was “absolutely amazing”. Ms Phillips Jones, who initiated the group six years ago, remarked: “It means such a lot, and we are really proud of what we have achieved”. Judges toured some of the coastal town’s planters and floral displays, including those located on Victoria Road, Seabank Road, and along Coastal Drive. The group maintains over 100 distinct plant pots, planters, and two improvised boats filled with flowers throughout New Brighton. Sue Phillips Jones, a participant in New Brighton in Bloom, commented: “It’s a large area to cover and we rely so much on our volunteers. “The award means everything.”The plants won’t look after themselves, we do put a lot of effort in around the community so when you get recognised, it is lovely.” Councillor Shevy Povall, the Mayor of Wirral Council, stated: “Everybody has pulled together to win these really, really good awards, and to put New Brighton on the map once and for all. “They give people incentives to do more, you feel as though people appreciate what you do because lots of people give a lot of time, and get no recognition at all and I think it is really important to say thank you to all of our volunteers.”It just goes to show what a community can do when they work together.” The best content from BBC Radio Merseyside is available on Sounds, and BBC Merseyside can be followed on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available for review.