Last weekCrawleyhad much to celebrate at the South and South East in Bloom Awards. These awards promote, support and encourage community activity through gardening, horticulture and environmental sustainability across the region.
Two gold awards came to our town – for theSmallCityand Town Centre categories. Not only that, butCrawleywas also the category winner in both cases. This is an outstanding achievement forCrawleydelivered through powerful teamwork between Council staff, residents and volunteers. All Crawley Councillors who I have spoken too are immensely proud of this outcome and pay tribute to everyone who has made it possible.
This regional recognition might seem counter-intuitive to some people outside ofCrawleywho do not know our town and its people. If so, that external view can only deliver complacency rather than gold.
Further awards were won by Friends of Goffs Park, Bolney Court Residents, Worth Conservation Area, Bewbush Action Group and West Green Park. These results illustrate the strength in depth of the commitment ofCrawleypeople to the appearance and environment of our town.
The South and South East in Bloom successes follow on from separate recognition received by three ofCrawley’s parks. Tilgate Park, Goffs Park and The Memorial Gardens all hold the prestigious Green Flag Award. This is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. It recognises and rewards the best green spaces in the country. High standards are encouraged through the annual re-accreditation process.
A hallmark of Crawley’s success is the Let’s FACE It! initiative where FACE stands for Focused Action onCrawley’s Environment. Council staff, residents and volunteers combine to work on projects to lift the appearance of their communities. The outcomes speak for themselves and show a real sense of civic pride. It is a moving experience to have so many people working together for the common good and to see the tangible environmental improvements that this can bring.
None of Crawley’s accolades would be achieved without the dedication and hard work of the Council’s Amenity Services staff. There is in all organisations work that goes no further than getting the job done but it is plain to see that the actions of our staff go far beyond this. We see real commitment, dedication and enthusiasm for maintaining our environment to the highest standards. Crawleyhas been put on the map in a way that we can all be proud of and this is a well-earned tribute to our staff whose hard work has made this possible.
Councillor Bob Lanzer, Leader of Crawley Borough Council
9th September 2009