Scottish groups reach Britain in Bloom final
24 January 2025
Three amazing groups from our Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network will be representing Scotland in the 2025 Britain in Bloom final.
Aberdeen Communities Together, Growing Kirkcaldy and Let’s Get Grangemouth Clean Glitter Team have made it to the Royal Horticultural Society’s UK-wide final.
Forty-five groups from across the UK will be competing in the finals. Aberdeen Communities Together is in the Small City and City category, Growing Kirkcaldy is in the Town Centres and City Centres category and Let’s Get Grangemouth Clean Glitter Team is in the Large Town category, and all groups will be visited by the Britain in Bloom judges between 28 July and 15 August, with the awards ceremony set for October.
Aberdeen Communities Together have been recognised for their excellent efforts, most recently at the Beautiful Scotland 2024 awards, winning The Rosebowl, the most prestigious award, alongside the VisitScotland Award for Tourism, The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Award for Horticulture, the City Award and receiving a Gold certificate.
The group also won in the 2023 Britain in Bloom finals, collecting a Gold, winning the City category, and receiving a Certificate of Achievement for the Horticultural Excellence Award.
Let’s Get Grangemouth Clean Glitter Team won the Large Town Award, the New Entrant Award, a Highly Commended certificate in the David Welch Memorial Award for Something Special (for flower beds and floral bike trail) and Gold certificate at the 2024 Beautiful Scotland awards.
The group, together with Falkirk Council, also won the Wright Sustainability Award for Zetland Park’s Rain Garden.
Growing Kirkcaldy won the Town Centre and City Centre Award as well as receiving a Gold certificate at the 2024 Beautiful Scotland Awards. The group also received a Runner Up certificate in two categories: Community Horticulture and Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society Award, alongside Fife Council, for Kirkcaldy.
Juliette Camburn, our Senior Community Initiatives Officer, said: “As active members of the Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network, I’m delighted to see these amazing groups reach the Britain in Bloom finals and continue this wonderful period of success they are enjoying.
“I’d also like to congratulate our other Scottish finalists, commend them on their achievements and wish them the best of luck. All the groups in our network do so much amazing work and these groups fully deserve to be recognised at UK level. We’re currently looking for sponsorship to help us continue to support the Network in 2025 and beyond so please get in touch with us to discuss how we can work together to support the groups keeping Scotland beautiful.”
Let’s Get Grangemouth Clean Glitter Team’s Phyllis McCaskill said: “Entering Beautiful Scotland 2024 was fabulous fun for the glitter team. The support and encouragement from Keep Scotland Beautiful was really wonderful, it helped us to go forward with confidence and gave our town such pride winning our awards.
“To be in the UK finals really is a dream come true for us and we wouldn’t be here without Keep Scotland Beautiful.”
Growing Kirkcaldy’s Alice Soper said: “We are delighted to have been invited to take part in Britain in Bloom! It is a terrific boost for everyone involved, including Growing Kirkcaldy and partners in the town, including Fife Council.
“On behalf of all involved I must thank Keep Scotland Beautiful for the great support it has given us - over 13 years now, including the ability to network with so many other ‘bloom’ groups across Scotland.”
Aberdeen City Council In Bloom Champion Councillor Neil MacGregor said: “It truly is an accolade for the city to be in the finals of Britain in Bloom.
“This is thanks to the hard work carried out by our hard-working gardeners and greenkeepers as well as all the amazing community organisations, groups, and individuals who help to continue make Aberdeen’s green spaces beautiful along with support from Keep Scotland Beautiful.
“It is fantastic that we will be welcoming Britain in Bloom judges back into the city in the summer and we look forward to showing them around including meeting many of the people involved in ensuring our green areas look great.”
Find out more about the work of the Climate and Nature Friendly Communities Network here.