Groups across Scotland celebrated at 2022 It's Your Neighbourhood awards

Last night almost 200 groups across Scotland were recognised for their work to improve their communities for people and nature.

We honoured 187 groups from 26 local authority areas across Scotland at the 2022 Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood Annual Seminar and celebration event which took place virtually on Thursday, 8 December.

Groups from all over the country attended and joined in the celebration as participants were commended for their efforts to clean up and beautify their neighbourhoods.

Additionally, 72 groups were recognised with Certificates of Distinction – presented to groups which have displayed continuous improvements over a four-year period as part of the It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative.

Juliette Camburn our Community Projects Officer said: “I’m delighted to once again be celebrating the brilliant work of groups across Scotland who are doing so much to make their community a better place.

“Every It’s Your Neighbourhood entrant has made a lasting contribution to their area through their efforts and it’s great to see such a high number of entrants this year.

“I’d like to congratulate and thank each and every group, alongside the 26 volunteer assessors we work with who give up their time, support, expertise and guidance, for all they do to make their community a cleaner, greener and more sustainable place for people and nature.”

At the ceremony, a number of discretionary awards, available to all groups in Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood family, were also made.  These included:

• Children and Young People Award won jointly by EAGerBunch – Ellon Academy Gardeners, Aberdeenshire and FARE Lochend Community Allotment, Glasgow.
• Growing Communities Award won jointly by Darkwood Crew – Helping Ferguslie Flourish, Renfrewshire and Broxburn and Uphall Growers Society (BUGS), West Lothian.
• Gardening in a Changing Climate won jointly by Bonnie Dundee IYN and Bonnie Dundee.
• Parks and Green Spaces Award won jointly by Ury Riverside Park SCIO, Aberdeenshire and Dollar Horticultural and Garden Club with Dollar in Bloom, Clackmannanshire.

A further three entrants were recognised for their successful pollinator-friendly approach and received a NatureScot It’s Your Neighbourhood Pollinator Friendly Award, presented by Jim Jefferey, Pollinator Strategy Manager with NatureScot.  The winners were:

• Yorkhill Green Spaces, Glasgow City
• St Machar Biodiversity Community Group, Aberdeen
• Bonnie Dundee IYN, Dundee

Jim Jeffrey, Pollinator Strategy Manager, Biodiversity and Geodiversity for NatureScot, said: “Making space for nature in gardens, allotments, greenspaces and communities is a boost for our health and biodiversity. This year’s Pollinator Friendly Award winners are to be applauded for their great achievements in helping reverse the decline in nature by making Scotland more pollinator-friendly and giving their time and energy to these fantastic community projects.”

It’s Your Neighbourhood is Keep Scotland Beautiful’s community environmental improvement initiative which is managed in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).  It runs alongside Beautiful Scotland but is non-competitive and is based on the three pillars of community participation, environmental responsibility and gardening achievement.

Pak Ling Wan, Community Programme Manager of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), said: “We’re delighted that so many groups in Scotland are taking part in It’s Your Neighbourhood and achieving so much for their local communities. It’s encouraging how groups have fully embraced the initiative, showing that, they can improve people’s wellbeing and benefit our natural environment through gardening.”

A full list of all entrants and their achievements can be found here.

Any group who would like to find out more about, or register to join our It’s Your Neighbourhood initiative can email beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org or visit www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/IYN to learn more.