Residents urged to help Manchester bloom
19 March 2010
A group of young and old residents who transformed a run-down piece of land are urging others to enter the Manchester In Bloom competition and make the city even greener.
Just one year ago, the land off Mirfield Road in Blackley suffered from fly tipping and was overgrown with weeds.
Now, members of the Blackley In Bloom group have turned the area into a communal garden where fresh fruit and vegetables are grown for local residents.
Members of the group, joined by youngsters from Plant Hill Arts College and community guardians, are now urging residents across the city to get together and start their own projects for Manchester In Bloom, being launched on Monday March 22.
The annual Bloom competition has been running since 2004 and has brightened the city by encouraging communities to plant trees, flowers, shrubs and bulbs.
The contest starts at a neighbourhood level in which groups of friends, schools, businesses and residents get involved in small projects with support from the City Council, which are then judged by the Royal Horticultural Society in the summer as part of the prestigious North West in Bloom contest.
Manchester residents won a record 67 projects in this competition last year, compared with only three when it started.
Councillor Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "The success of last year's event was richly deserved and reflects the amazing effort, energy and care which went into producing those high quality entries.
"The scheme on Mirfield Road is an excellent example of people working together to achieve some excellent results, and we're looking forward to hearing from other groups who want to enhance their neighbourhoods."
Green-fingered residents are also being invited to enter their creations into the City Council's own Great Green Neighbourhoods gardening competition.
Anyone who wants more information about Bloom, or who wants to enter the City Council's gardening contest should contact Sarah Hawkins or Mel Kirby on 0161 953 2633 or 0161 953 2666.
