EFFORTS to brighten up Alloa have been rewarded with the presentation of a silver medal certificate from Keep Scotland Beautiful.

‘Alloa in Bloom’ received the accolade at a ceremony held in Dundee, on Friday (5 September), for its success in the Business Improvement District (BID) category of the Beautiful Scotland Awards.

A national competition, previously known as Beautiful Scotland in Bloom, it is run by Keep Scotland Beautiful, a member of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Bloom Federation.

Andrew Mitchell, of the Alloa BID, said, “All the volunteers put in a great effort and the judges were particularly impressed with the Hidden Garden which was quickly created by the Moncrieff Church and Wee County Floral – the plants did look good on judging day.  “This year’s goal was to win a Gold Award so we will sit down and look how we can improve for next year.  Ideally I’d like to see a working group created similar to Bridge of Allan who excel in their floral displays year after year.” The competition is entered by local authorities, BIDS and volunteer groups representing their cities, towns, villages and communities.

Groups are assessed by volunteer judges for their achievements in three core pillars: horticultural excellence, environmental responsibility, and community participation.

As well as the awards themselves, a number of this year’s winners will represent Scotland next year in the UK-wide RHS Britain in Bloom competition.

John Frater of Keep Scotland Beautiful, who hosted the ceremony, said, “I am delighted to present the awards and would like to congratulate all the winners on their success. Keep Scotland Beautiful is delighted to award Alloa in Bloom a silver medal certificate. Through floral enhancement, community participation, and taking responsibility for tackling the criminal activity of littering and dog fouling, Beautiful Scotland groups make a massive difference to our country.

The awards presented at this ceremony go some way to recognising all the endless hours which volunteers and local authorities put in throughout the year to ensure that visitors and local community members are able to enjoy clean, green and sustainable surroundings.”