"Blooming" Success - A Continuing Story!

by Euna Scott

Year on year communities throughout Perth and Kinross who participate in the “Take a Pride in Perthshire Campaign” are justifiably proud of their achievements. They have a record of success that speaks volumes to their commitment! Consistent high performers in the competition stakes in the Campaign’s 13-year history have been - 

Perth in Bloom

• 7 times winner of the Large Town Category in Britain in Bloom including a coveted Gold Medal;
• Gold Medal for the floral display “World in our Hands awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society at Tatton Park Show
• 10 times winner of the Large Town Category in Scotland in Bloom
• 6 times winner of the Champion of Champions Rosebowl
• Special Award winners in European competition Entente Florale
• Gold Five Blooms Award in the “World in Bloom” Challenge against Canada
• the Queen Mother’s Birthday Awards for Environmental Improvements – the Premier Award For Enterprise

Pitlochry in Bloom

3 times winner of the Small Country Town Category in Britain in Bloom and chosen to represent Scotland again in 2007

7 times winner of the same category in Scotland in Bloom

winner of the Champion of Champions Rosebowl in 2003

silver Medal Award in “Entente Florale”

and like Perth the top Award in the “World in Bloom” challenge

Comrie in Colour

• 4 times winners of the Best Large Village in Scotland in Bloom
• winners of the Bob Hare Trophy for outstanding community contribution in Britain in Bloom in 2000
• winners of the hotly contested Large Village category in 2001 in Britain in Bloom

Comrie, like Pitlochry, has been again chosen to represent Scotland in the same category of Britain in Bloom 2007, making Perth and Kinross the only local authority area in Scotland to have two representatives in the competition.

Added to the above are Blairgowrie and Rattray, Kinross, Muthill, Forteviot, Auchterarder, Blackford, Bridge of Earn, Dunkeld and Birnam, Scone, Aberfeldy, Crieff and Spittalfield - all local communities that have also won finalist places and individual awards at Scottish level.

But what are the origins of the “Take a Pride in Perthshire Campaign” now recognised by many as an exemplar of volunteer community participation and partnership in the care and enhancement of the environment. Its roots go back to February 1989 when an article appeared in the Perthshire Advertiser headlined “Foul City not Fair”. This article disclosed that an American film company had turned Perth down as a filming location because of the litter and dog fouling on the Inches. The challenge of reversing this view and spearheading the co-ordination of a voluntary action campaign was taken up by Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and named “Take a Pride in Perth”. The next year the campaign changed its name to “Perth in Bloom” -the word “bloom” being used in the context of glowing and flourishing.

Partnership working is now a familiar term but Perth in Bloom then was one of the earliest examples with the partnership formed in 1989 between the public, private and voluntary sector. These groups agreed to work together to

• improve the City’s environment;
• create a collective sense of civic pride
• make a positive contribution to the quality of and the economic strength of Perth and Kinross by attracting visitors to the area.

Euna Scott, in her role as Chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society of Perthshire, a post she held for 13 years, was invited in 1990 to join as a founder member of the Perth in Bloom Committee and in 1994 was appointed Chairman, a position she still holds today.