Sidmouth in Bloom has won a Gold in the South West in Bloom Champion of Champions category, along with several other prizes and commendations.

At the presentation event on Wednesday, October 3 in Truro, the Sensory Garden on the Ham won the City of Bath Trophy for Best Landscaping, and Sidmouth's schools jointly won the Clem Preece Memorial Cup  for 'Outstanding effort by a school in promoting South West in Bloom'. This was due to the contributions made by Sidmouth Primary, Sidmouth College, Sidbury Primary and St Johns School to the floral and plant displays at Connaught Gardens, the Bowling Green, the Ham Fish Urns and at the Sensory Garden.

Volunteer Sue Goode received a Community Champion Award for her dedication to  the Sidmouth in Bloom gardening group the Sidplanters.

Sidmouth was also nominated for Community Effort, Best Non-Municipal Horticulture, Best use of Native Plants, Best Community Initiative’ for the Sidbashers, and Best 'It's Your Neighbourhood’ for the Coral Seating Area and Ham Borders.  

Also in the It's Your Neighbourhood Awards, The Chairman’s Garden, The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Copse, Margaret’s Meadow & Livonia Rd Shrubbery, Sidmouth Arboretum, The Coral Seating Area & Wave Borders, The Friends of Glen Goyle and the Sensory Garden were all rated Outstanding, and the Volunteer Inn Corner Plot was rated Thriving.

Lynette Talbot, chair of Sidmouth in Bloom, said the team are 'thilled' with the Gold Champion of Champions Award, and that the community awards in particular were 'a wonderful acknowledgement to the work by all volunteers in Sidmouth'. 

The South West in Bloom judges visited Sidmouth in July. Sidmouth in Bloom have thanked the Belmont Hotel for hosting the Judges' Presentation before the tour, Tom Griffen for his tour on the heritage 'toast rack' car, and everyone who helped clean, litterpick and make the town look beautiful over the summer.

The Celebration of Success evening is being held on Thursday, October 19 from 6.30pm until 9pm at the Methodist Church in the High Street, for the presentation of prizes to the winners of the local awards run by Sidmouth in Bloom. Anyone interested in coming is asked to email info@sidmouthinbloom.org or write to Lynette at 26 Coulsdon Rd, Sidmouth, EX10 9JP.