And the winners are…

The Arlington Association’s chair Gordon McArthur (right) and committee member Alison Rice receive the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood award from Michael Fitt OBE, Trustee of London in Bloom.

Congratulations to all our volunteer gardeners who have scooped some impressive awards for their work in Arlington Square and nearby streets this year.

The Royal Horticulture Society It’s Your Neighbourhood awards gave the Arlington Association a Level 4 status – Thriving. This is the second highest level and one better than the Level 3 award we received in 2011, our first year of entry. Marks are awarded for three criteria: Community Participation (where we scored 32 out of 40), Environmental Responsibility (22 out of 30) and Gardening Achievement (23 out of 30), giving us a total of 77 out of 100, compared to 64 last year. Our Community Participation score has markedly improved from last year’s 22 out of 40.

Meanwhile, at the Islington in Bloom awards, Rees Street Community Garden won a Bronze medal for third place in the Forgotten Corner category. The Rees Street Tree Pits won second place in the Best Tree Pits category and were awarded a Gold medal.

It is good to see our work being recognised in national and regional programmes like these. We offer our sincere thanks to everyone who, over the last 12 months, has helped in so many ways to build a stronger community and make our area a place for everyone to enjoy.