HALESOWEN in Bloom organisers are gearing up for the visit of the Royal Horticultural Society’s judges as the town competes as national Britain in Bloom finalists for the first time ever.

The town’s ‘In Bloom’ campaign will be one of 76 community gardening groups who will be battling it out to be crowned the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful place in the UK, with judges visiting the town on Thursday, August 2.

Halesowen are one of five groups making up the ‘Urban Community’ category, and will face off against Stanwix in Cumbria, Wolverton and Greenleys in Thames & Chilterns, Evington in the East Midlands, and Bankside in London.

It is the first time the town has reached this stage of the competition, so everyone in the community is making one last effort to make the town look bloomin’ lovely.

Eve O’Connor, chairman of Halesowen in Bloom, said: “I want to thank every single volunteer who has watered, pruned, gardened, litter picked, knitted, painted and sewn for In Bloom this year.

“I can’t wait to meet the judges to show them what wonderful people we have in our community who donate so many hours of their time towards making Halesowen in Bloom such a success.”

It will be the second time Halesowen in Bloom has been assessed in the past month, after judges were in town on July 3 for the regional competition.

Halesowen News: