Date: 8 November 2017
Gold for Harrogate in Champion of Champions
Harrogate has picked up a gold award in the prestigious Champion of Champions category of the RHS Britain in Bloom campaign 2017.
Representatives of *Team Harrogate attended the awards ceremony held on 27 October in Llandudno, North Wales. The gold award was collected by Chairman Pam Grant who is also President of Harrogate in Bloom and Patrick Kilburn, Harrogate Borough Council’s Head of Parks and Environmental Services as judges congratulated all Champion of Champions finalists for setting such a consistently high standard.
Just seven destinations from 78 finalists were invited by the national judges to enter this elite category which pits the very best in the country against each other.
It is the third time Harrogate has been entered in Champion of Champions but it is the first time it has been awarded the much coveted gold medal.
Pam Grant said: “In 2007 and 2010 we were awarded silver gilt so this year we were very much going for gold. All seven finalists picked up gold awards and the judges told us there was nothing but a cat’s whisker between us. We were pipped at the post of overall category winner which went to Elswick in Lancashire. Gold is what we set out to bring back to Harrogate and we are immensely proud to have achieved that. We were competing at the very highest level and a gold medal is a huge achievement.”
As well as Harrogate in Bloom and Harrogate Borough Council, *Team Harrogate includes a further 15 local groups.
Pam Grant added: “All Team Harrogate members do a fantastic job and this is testament to their hard work and continued commitment to the In Bloom campaign for the benefit of our town. A lot of people dug really deep to support us and I want to thank everyone involved particularly all members of Team Harrogate. I would also like to thank Harrogate Mayor Cllr Anne Jones, the Harrogate Chamber of Commerce and our Business Buddies, Harrogate Flower Shows, Harrogate Business Market, Transdev, Studley Hotel and Old Swan Hotel, the Harrogate Advertiser, Stray FM, Radio York and Harrogate News. And a final special thank you to Harrogate in Bloom’s new partner Harrogate Spring Water. Big or small, all support was invaluable and helped us win this gold award.”
The other six entrants were Aberdeen, Elswick, Hillsborough, Oldham, Portishead and St Peter Port (Guernsey)
*Team Harrogate: Harrogate in Bloom, Harrogate Borough Council, Pinewoods Conservation Group, Harrogate District Biodiversity Action Group, North of England Horticultural Society (Harrogate Flower Shows), Harrogate and District Allotments' Federation, Friends of the Valley Gardens, Bilton Conservation Group, Harrogate Civic Society, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Horticap, Rossett Nature Reserve, Rossett School, Woodfield Millennium Green, Hookstone and Stonefall Action Group, Bachelor Field Friends' Group and Woodlands Community Group.
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Media contact: Lynne Mee, Publicity Officer, Harrogate in Bloom, 07702 313776.
Patrick Kilburn, Harrogate Council's Head of Parks and Environmental Services and Pam Grant, Chair of Team Harrogate collecting gold from host IoIo Williams, Welsh nature observer and TV presenter.
