Sevenoaks in Bloom wins four awards at RHS Britain in Bloom

Published: 03 November 2025

Sevenoaks achieved remarkable success at the RHS Britain in Bloom Awards on Friday 31st October, held in Brighton. Sevenoaks in Bloom won four awards, as well as a Gold standard in the Town Centres & City Centres category, recognising the outstanding community effort.

The town’s campaign won a Judges' Highlight Award, celebrating important partnerships, particularly with Rockdale Housing Association. The hard work Rockdale Housing Association’s staff and residents put into creating a stunning garden was recognised again as their Head Gardener, Annette Whitney, was awarded the Community Champion award. Annette Whitney commented, “Thank you to everyone who was involved, it was a major community effort from all at Rockdale”.

The Sevenoaks in Bloom team was also delighted that two young volunteers in the community won Young Champion awards – Willow and Bonnie. Willow Loudon, a talented crafter, crocheted two intricate post box toppers that brought joy to the town centre. Bonnie and her friend Emma took part in a sponsored litter pick to raise funds, which they used to buy plants for the Vine Gardens.

Sevenoaks was chosen as the South & South East regional representative in the Town Centres & City Centres category of the national finals. The Sevenoaks in Bloom 2025 campaign theme was ‘Celebrating Bugs’, highlighting the importance of pollinators through planting schemes designed for bees, butterflies, and other insects, alongside edible planting.

Britain in Bloom is a nationwide gardening competition that inspires communities to make positive changes to their local environment through horticultural, environmental and community action. Community involvement is a huge part of the competition, and it was incredible to see the Sevenoaks community rally together. Volunteers aged from two to 100 were involved – school pupils, gardeners, local businesses, crafters, and the Town Council’s Open Spaces team all went the extra mile.

Local crafters from Knole U3A, Knit and Natter, Sevenoaks Soroptimists, Rockdale Housing Association and other craft groups created charming knitted bees, butterflies and caterpillars which were exhibited around the town.

Many young children contributed hand-painted bug rocks, which were displayed at the Vine. Sevenoaks Day Nursery and 15th Sevenoaks (Otford) Beaver Scout supplied many of these, as well as local kids who attended Town Council events over the summer. Pupils from Walthamstow Hall School and tots from Oakley Day Nursery helped out with Rockdale’s garden display.

Year 10 students at Weald of Kent Grammar School created stunning withie sculptures of dragonflies and a snail. An amazing wire insect sculpture was created by Year 12 students from Trinity School. St John's Primary School Year 2 Forest School made clay bugs and minibeasts, which were on display at House in the Basement youth café, along with LEGO flowers and other crafts created by young people.

Community pride continued beyond creative displays, with residents and organisations maintaining planters and baskets across the town. Sevenoaks Soroptimists tended to flowerbeds at the Vine and station, while West Kent Housing and Southeastern worked to keep their areas of the town looking beautiful. Other businesses in Sevenoaks also contributed as their staff volunteered to keep the town looking fabulous.

The Mayor of Sevenoaks, Cllr Tony Clayton, said ‘Thank you to all our volunteers, partner organisations and businesses who made Sevenoaks in Bloom such a success, and for the support provided by this year’s sponsor, The Purelake Group.”

Our Sevenoaks in Bloom campaign featured on the BBC's The One Show on Friday 31 October. You can see the program via this link.