Horticultural heroes and community champions will be celebrating as the results of the 2010 Yorkshire in Bloom campaign are announced next week.

At a prestigious ceremony to be held in the Royal Armouries in Leeds on Tuesday 14 September, over 100 community groups, local businesses, and schools that have taken part in 'in Bloom', together with their mayors and local dignitaries, will hear how they have been judged in this year’s horticultural and environmental competition.

Councillor James McKenna, Lord Mayor of Leeds, will welcome guests to the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards Ceremony, and the children’s choir from Middleton St Mary’s C of E Primary School will perform songs as part of the event.

Prominent figures from the world of horticulture will also be playing key roles, including Roger Burnett, Chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) UK Judging Panel, as well as Leeds City Council’s Recreation Partnerships Manager, Martin Walker, who was involved in creating the gold medal-winning ‘The HESCO Garden 2010’ at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Describing the Awards Ceremony, Chris Beard, Chair of Yorkshire in Bloom, said: “This is a great opportunity to celebrate all that is good in Yorkshire. It recognizes the hard work that individuals, community groups, businesses and local authorities put into their local environments throughout the whole year.”“By working together, ‘In Bloom’ groups make a real difference to the way places look, with cleaning up and greening up areas of neglect, and also by creating wonderfully colourful floral displays.Chris continued: “The number of people invited to attend the event is only a small proportion of the thousands of people involved with 'in Bloom' throughout the region, from large cities such as York, small villages such as Haworth and coastal resorts such as Whitby. All compete for top honours and the chance to represent the area in the national RHS Britain in Bloom competition.

“New to ‘In Bloom’ for 2010 is the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ initiative, which is inclusive and non-competitive, and it provides an opportunity for smaller community groups to get involved.”

Horticultural suppliers Plantscape, Amberol and Civic Pride will be supporting the event as exhibitors.

ENDS