Forres has excelled again in the Keep Scotland Beautiful awards with three wins, announced on 8 September.
Volunteers from Forres in Bloom were awarded The Rosebowl Trophy, the top accolade in the award scheme, in a tie with North Berwick.
In addition to the top prize, the volunteer group also won the Best Medium Town category and the Community Horticulture Award.
People come from miles to see this colourful feature of Forres.
We took a walk around the park recently and took pictures of their award-winning displays. But of course, it’s not just the park, their green fingers touch the whole town, with displays in the high street, at roundabouts, the war memorial, etc.
Judging visits took place during early August, with a team of Keep Scotland Beautiful volunteer judges considering groups’ efforts across three pillars: horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation.
Forres in Bloom were joint winners of The Roseebowl Trophy with East Lothian group North Berwick. This is the premier award given to the overall winner across all categories, receiving the highest overall marks.
Forres in Bloom were visited by judges Terry Stott and Penny Wright in August, who highlighted the ‘outstanding collaborative work of volunteers to beautify the town, be environmentally aware and engage the wider community’. They also praised the group for taking on so much of the work which previously was carried out by their local council.
A spokesperson for Keep Scotland Beautiful added: “Forres is an outstanding example of collaborative work of volunteers to beautify their town, raising environmental awareness and efforts to engage the wider community. As councils face ongoing budgetary challenges, the group has risen to the challenge, to ensure their town is kept looking beautiful and ready for visitors.”
