A BLOOMING success – Rugby has scooped several awards at the prestigious Heart of England in Bloom competition, winning gold for the 16th consecutive year.
The town’s entry in this year’s competition, run by the Royal Horticulture Society (RHS), embraced the national gardening competition’s theme, which for 2025 was ‘Plants and People.’
As well as retaining the Gold in the Small City category, Rugby was presented with the Small City category, the judge’s discretionary award for Horticultural Excellence, and the Heart of England in Bloom Overall Winner.
Rugby has also been nominated by the Heart of England region for the national Britain in Bloom 2026 Small City category.
Rugby’s submission included contributions from schools, and volunteer groups including Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire, Rugby Wildlife Group, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Arden Ringing Group, and Ryton Garden Organic.
Also joining the efforts were community partners including New Bilton Community Association, ISS, Rugby Gardeners Guild, Onley Prison, sponsors, businesses and more.
The awards were accepted by Mayor Barbara Brown, Chief Officer for Leisure and Wellbeing Tom Kittendorf, Green Space and Biodiversity Manager John Howes, and Green Spaces Officer Colin Horton, who all attended the award ceremony at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.
In July, judges were taken on a tour of the town, visiting locations including Caldecott Park, Jubilee Gardens, St Andrews Church, Rugby School, Newbold Quarry and Abbotts Farm School.
The judges received a presentation and a portfolio showcasing the year’s activities based on the judging criteria of horticulture, environment and community.
In Caldecott Park, the judges visited the newly installed accessible wheelchair swing, introduced earlier this year, and the improved bowling green and tennis courts.
They also saw the town’s composite sleepers and raised beds, including a sensory bed designed to encourage an immersive horticulture experience for residents, which are maintained by community groups including ISS and Rugby Gardeners Guild.
The judges were impressed with projects and displays at Rugby School and Abbots Farm Junior School, as well as the biodiversity and conservation efforts by volunteers at Newbold Quarry.
This year, commemorative benches for Victory in Europe (VE) and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day were installed at Whitehall Recreational Ground, Hillmorton Greens and Assheton Rec.
And, in celebration of Rugby Borough Council’s 50th anniversary, 50 trees were planted at Rokeby Fields, with another 50 trees forming a winding avenue in Cawston.
An additional 200 trees have been planted across the borough, many planted by volunteers and community groups.
Council leader Coun Michael Moran said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Rugby, a true reflection of the incredible work by our community groups. I’m proud that we have been recognised as one of the best in the country for creating and encouraging green spaces through gardening and community participation.”
Coun Maggie O’Rourke, the council’s portfolio holder for partnerships and wellbeing, added: “I’m thrilled to hear that Rugby has been awarded Gold, the winner for the Small Cities category, Horticultural Excellence, and Overall Winner. This means we will now go forward to the national Britain in Bloom final next year. We were up against strong competition, which makes this award even more special.”
Her Liberal Democrat counterpart Coun Neil Sandison said: “Rugby’s golden gardeners have done it again. It’s been an absolute pleasure to see all the contributions from the community and to admire the work of all council departments involved.
“Speaking to the judges after their tour of the borough, it was clear that they were impressed by the collective effort of everyone involved.”
