Recognition for climate and nature friendly community action
17 September 2024
The achievements of 14 community groups from across nine local authority areas have been recognised and five of them have been nominated to represent Scotland in the inaugural UK RHS Community Awards.
All members of the Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network, the recognised community groups have excelled in specific areas, from gardening for wildlife, with young people or for health and wellbeing.
Volunteer judges and assessors, working with us, visited over 230 communities over the summer evaluating their efforts across three pillars: horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation.
Identifying examples of best practice, success, or innovation across Scotland, the volunteers then nominated groups in five categories – with the hope that their stories will inspire others.
A panel of experts, including representatives from NatureScot and local community groups, met to short list and select winners, runners up and highly commended projects.
A full list of the award winners, runners up and highly commended groups can be found in the related documents section at the bottom of this story.
Juliette Camburn, our Senior Community Initiatives Officer, said, “My thanks go to all the volunteer assessors and judges who work with us to visit and provide guidance to community groups across Scotland. From the excellent practices they saw first-hand across the country they nominated groups for awards in one of five categories.
“We’re facing climate and nature crises in Scotland, and everyone must play their part to halt biodiversity loss and to protect and enhance nature. The efforts of the groups, and all involved in their communities, is truly inspiring, ensuring their local areas are not only protected but improved for future generations.
“Every group thoroughly deserves their awards and recognition, and their collective efforts to make Scotland more beautiful, is immensely appreciated.”
This year we are piloting a range of new RHS Community Awards - developed to celebrate the work that groups do in the context of our changing world, including biodiversity collapse, the increasing importance of a connection to nature for wellbeing and the climate emergency.
The five Scottish winners will now be up against groups from across the UK, with the results announced at the Britain in Bloom UK Awards Ceremony in Manchester on 21 October.
|
Name of group |
Category |
Local authority |
Judge/assessor comments |
|
Inverclyde Shed |
Community Engagement Award |
Inverclyde |
This group supports, enables and empowers individuals. It was an exceptionally impressive entry – working with a wide range of people, connecting interest groups together and growing the community. |
|
Shiell Street and Queen Street Community Gardens |
Gardening with Young People Award |
Dundee City |
These groups show true resilience, and it is very impressive that is the projects are young person led and that they manage the spaces well, accepting advice and sharing resources with others. |
|
Ninewells Community Garden |
Gardening for Health and Wellbeing Award |
Dundee City |
Many challenges have been overcome to create the garden in a health care setting. It was great to see the courtyards within the hospital being utilised, and such a developed sensory garden. It was noted how welcoming of children and the wider community the garden was. |
|
The Douglas Park Project |
Sustainable Gardening Award |
North Ayrshire |
The group was commended for its sustainable practice; reusing materials to create structures and signage. The group has also moved from planting traditional bedding plants and annuals to more sustainable planting. |
|
East Haven Together |
Gardening for Wildlife Award |
Angus |
The group was commended for the regular bioblitzes it carries out, and the engagement of local people collecting data and contributing to citizen science projects. |
Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood are run in association with the Royal Horticultural Society, and feed into the annual Britain in Bloom competition.
If you or your group are interested in joining, find more information here: Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network | Keep Scotland Beautiful
