Bath-based housing association Curo has announced the winners of its 2021 Community Awards and Curo in Bloom, celebrating individuals and communities across the region.
Curo Chief Executive Victor da Cunha presents Katie O’Brien with a Curo in Bloom award | Photo © Curo
The Curo Community Awards include the Curo Community of the Year, won by Snow Hill in Bath, and the Community Hero Award which was presented to two residents, Zoe Cornick from Writhlington and Sam Oliphant from Chew Magna.
Curo in Bloom Award winners included a ‘fairy garden’ in Moorfields, Bath; a giant sunflower in Melksham; a garden created by a father-and-son team in Nailsea, and a community garden run by residents at Julian Road in Bath.
The winners were announced by Curo Chief Executive Victor da Cunha at the housing association’s annual Residents’ Conference.
Victor said: “There have been so many local heroes throughout this pandemic, and our homes, gardens and communities have mattered more than ever.
“These awards shine a spotlight on those special people who have done amazing things where they live, or have helped to brighten up their neighbourhoods through their gardening creations or their generous community-focused activity more generally.”
Rowan Edwards of Snow Hill, which won Curo Community of the Year said: “We have a great Facebook group where the community really comes together. When someone needs something, they post and are helped out by someone.
Amy from Moorfields and daughter Orla, 4, in their award-winning vegetable garden | Photo © Curo
“We have an autumn trail as a community which is always fun and we’ve got together to do litter picking, weeding and leaf collection to keep the community looking beautiful.
“We’ve planted lots of wildflowers and bulbs that really brighten up the green spaces, fruit trees that the community look after, and we’ve made bee houses to go around the estate.”
Community Hero Award winner Sam Oliphant set up ‘Chew Chat’, a messaging group for her community that was used to organise shopping during lockdown.
Joint Community Hero Award Zoe Cornick started a local community food bank, which she organised herself and runs out of her shed. Zoe also organised a Writhlington Fun Day to help bring her community together.
The annual Curo in Bloom competition recognises the best gardens and displays created by Curo residents.
The popular award scheme, which every Curo resident can enter, features categories for large and small gardens, hanging baskets, window displays, community gardens, vegetable gardens and sunflowers.
The full list of Curo in Bloom winners is:
- Best Vegetable/Sensory Garden – Amy, Moorfields, Bath
- Best Window Baskets/Balcony Display/Hanging Baskets – Danielle Frost, Whiteway, Bath
- Best Small Garden – Jane Martini, Weston, Bath
- Best Large Garden – Sean Kelly, Nailsea
- Best Sunflower – Etta, Melksham
- Best Community Garden – Julian Road community, Bath
Best Large Garden winner Sean Kelley of Nailsea said: “We often get passers-by complement the garden, but my dad deserves most of the credit!”
Winner of Best Vegetable/Sensory Garden, Amy of Moorfields, Bath said: “We grow runner beans, strawberries, peas, green beans, raspberries and sunflowers. It’s my daughter’s fairy garden!”
Curo in Bloom winners each received a £50 voucher and trophy. Curo Community Award winners received a trophy, with the Community of the Year receiving £500 and the Community Heroes receiving £100 each.
