GREEN-FINGERED volunteers in Shaftesbury are keeping their fingers crossed judges in this year’s Britain in Bloom competition will look favourably on their efforts when they visit next Wednesday (June 28).

Shaftesbury won a gold award last year and the judges are visiting to look over the town before giving their verdict on entries around the country later this year.

Shaftesbury has entered the South and South East and National in Bloom competitions.

The judges are going on a 1.4km route around Shaftesbury, taking in the Hospital Gardens, Home Grown allotments, Breech Common, Abbey School, Millenium Green, GP gardens, the High Street and so on.

They will take account of criteria including the involvement of town groups, physical and mental health areas, bee-friendly plants and so on.

The town has 150 floral troughs and displays grown and made up by the volunteers and team at Employ My Ability @ThornGrove in Gillingham.

Businesses in Shaftesbury have bought them and displayed them on their premises, and the Shaftesbury in Bloom (SiB) watering team waters them two or three times a week during hot spells. Businesses are also encouraged to water wherever possible.

Volunteers maintain the Ivy Cross and Royal Chase flower beds, Angel Lane and Bell Street car parks, the library garden, war memorial and flower bed at the entrance to Abbey View GP surgery, and the heather bed by the police station.

This year they are maintaining Abbey View GP surgery’s floral and vegetable beds, working with Ecco in Mind, growing produce for the local community and accepting donations for Dorset in Mind and The BaD Company, which both support people with mental health conditions.

Volunteers have also maintained the Shaftesbury Lido pool flower bed and pots, and recently helped at Shaftesbury Abbey to maintain its crypt.

SiB vice-chairman Alison Harding said: “As volunteers, we are always looking for fresh ideas, new areas to incorporate for next year’s 2024 judging.

“Anyone can join SiB, by sponsoring a bed on the roundabout or a window trough/box, give a few gardening hours to keeping an area tidy, join our working groups.

“We would be happy to assist girl guides, scouts, DofE candidates who may like to volunteer towards their community badge, gardening badge, too.

“We aim to keep Shaftesbury town ‘In Bloom’ and ask everyone to help support us, by keeping Shaftesbury clean, tidy, litter free and above all a lovely area to live.”