Rotherham’s winners are buzzing from garden competition awards success

Photo of overall winner mr kevin tyler with cllr beck

Winners of the Council’s annual garden competition for council tenants and leaseholders are buzzing with their success at a celebration event at Clifton Park Garden House.

The awards were presented by the Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Jenny Andrews, and Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Dominic Beck, on Wednesday 18 September. 

The garden competition celebrates Council tenants who make a real difference to their communities by taking pride in their gardens and, in turn, making Rotherham estates cleaner, greener and safer places to live.
 
There are 65 gardens entered this year across a variety of categories: Best first time entry, Best multi-use garden, Best balcony, patio or small space, Best communal garden and new for this year Best pollinator friendly garden and Best young gardener (under 25).
 
Mr Kevin Tyler of Brinsworth received the overall prize, chosen by Councillor Dominic Beck, Cabinet Member for Housing. And Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Jenny Andrews picked Mr Robert Munro of East Dene as the winner of the Mayor’s Choice Award.
 
The first place winners of each category received a £50 high street voucher, a framed photograph of their winning garden, certificate and a rosette. The overall winner chosen from all the category winners received a further prize of a £200 high street voucher and a trophy.
 
The awards were presented by Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Dominic Beck, who said: “We’d like to thank all our tenants who entered the competition. This year, it was also great to receive entries for our new categories from Best young gardener aged under 25 and the Best pollinator friendly garden – which supports bees, butterflies and encourages other pollinators to visit gardens. 
 
“We are proud there are so many beautiful gardens on our estates. Each garden is a real asset to their local communities making them more attractive places to live.

“We have received some amazing entries this year displaying creativity, taking lots of care and paying a close attention to detail. I hope this year’s competition inspires all our tenants and leaseholders to make the most of their outdoor spaces to show pride in their homes and estates.”
 
Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Jenny Andrews, said: "It was a pleasure to see so many residents enter their gardens into this year’s competition. The tenants have showed they really enjoyed growing and tending to plants and vegetables in their own gardens. Getting involved in the competition is part of the fun, whether you win or not.
 
“There is such a great sense of pride that our tenants have in their gardens and green spaces. We encourage more tenants to join in the competition next year. Gardens don’t have to be perfect, whether they have pots on a balcony or a large community garden filled with plants, we have a category for everyone to have a chance of winning!" 
 
Council tenants who are inspired to enter next year’s competition should look out for entry forms usually available from spring.
 
Cllr Beck added: “Residents can start preparing for next year’s competition through getting their garden ready for autumn and winter now, and think about how to make the most of their outdoor space to wow the judges next year.”    

Published: 20th September 2019