Further to our last update regarding the proposed Robert Matthews Memorial, we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated so far.
The Committee is mulling over a few suggestions and we will update with more details when a decision has been made.
Robert Matthews with the 2016 St Just in Bloom Gold Award
St Just in Bloom have been contacted by St Just Council because they have been approached by several residents who would like to contribute towards a memorial for Robert Matthews who did so much for St Just.
The council will be paying for a seat to be put on Robert’s bed by the primary school and therefore they have asked us if we would be able to accept the donations for our own memorial to Robert. We would of course be delighted to accept.
UPDATE JUNE 2022.
If you would still like to contribute towards our memorial bed, please see one of our volunteers at one of our events or contact us via email: info@stjustinbloom.org.uk
The RHS have sent their newsletter and we are pleased to announce the 2020 winners:
Congratulations and a big thank you to this year’s participants!
St Just in Bloom needs your help. The group is currently unable to continue as it has done for the last 17 years, as over the last twelve months or so several of our longstanding members, including our chairman, have decided to step down, owing to health, age or personal reasons. Our group is now so reduced in membership that we now do not have enough helpers to carry out all the jobs we have been doing around the town, and if we continue we will be only able to provide a very limited floral display in the centre of town.
We know the people of St Just, and its visitors, have appreciated that our town looks cared for and attractive, particularly during the summer months. But we don’t just need appreciation, we need practical help. You don’t necessarily need to be a gardener, we need help moving things, watering, painting, and administrative tasks. If you care about your town and would like to help us please contact our secretary Emma Gwynn Tel 07476669026 or email emmagwynn09@googlemail.com.
Please note you do not have to come to meetings, we just need to know you are available. Even a few hours can be very helpful.
The 2020 Gardening Competition results are now available. Click/tap the following link to view the full list: St Just in Bloom Gardening Competition Results 2020
Congratulations to the winners and a big thank you to everyone who took part, particularly with it being such a difficult year!
A notice of the results can also be found in the window of Clemo’s Pet Shop on Fore Street in St Just.
A bit of good news, St Just in Bloom will be going ahead with the gardening and photographic competitions this year. Application forms will be available from Clemo’s opposite the Star from the end of next week and will have to be returned by Monday 3rd August.
Judging will take place on Thursday 6th August and the theme for this year is ‘Climate change and me’.
For more information on how the coronavirus is affecting St Just in Bloom this year, see our Coronavirus Update 2020 news post.
The picnic bench that St Just in Bloom placed down at Carn Gloose has gone missing!
If anybody has any information regarding it’s whereabouts please us let us know via the details on our Contact Page or send us a message through our Facebook page.
Any help or information would be really appreciated!
St Just in Bloom has heard from the National Trust that they have temporarily removed the bench. It will be returned when the lock down is over.
In view of current government restrictions, and with future uncertainty, our group has decided that St Just in Bloom will be unable to provide and maintain floral displays around the town this year.
If restrictions are lifted before the end of the season we may be in a position to provide some flowers in the town centre, and where possible we will try to continue to maintain some of the public spaces that St Just in Bloom usually look after.
The Britain in Bloom competition has been cancelled for this year, but the ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ judging may go ahead later in the year.
With regard to our own competitions, the painting and photographic competition will not go ahead, but it may be possible to judge the gardening competition later in the year. We will make a final decision when restrictions allow it.
St Just in Bloom Committee, April 2020
A further update to the above, regrettably this year’s RHS ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ judging will not be taking place due to the coronavirus.
On a brighter note however, the In Bloom Group will be organising some flower tiers for the centre of St Just. These should appear towards the end of June.
St Just in Bloom was formed in 2003 and entered SW in Bloom for the first time in 2004, when we won a silver medal. For the next nine years we won silver gilt and since then we have won gold. In 2016 and 2019 were in the Champion of Champion category. This means that we are competing against large towns, which have a gardening workforce as well as volunteers, like Truro, and also villages like St Izzey, which are similar to us with no paid work force. On both occasions we obtained gold and in 2016 we shared the trophy with Sherborne in Dorset — a very special moment.
Some of our founder volunteers are still with us, some in their 70s and 80s and as such are now looking to reduce considerably their commitment to the project. We are also facing problems with watering, which was initially done by Penwith District Council and then passed onto us which has become a significant problem as we have evolved and introduced new areas. There are three members who have watered and one is having to reduce his involvement because of work opportunities and another member can no longer commit as much time to it. We have therefore reached a crossroads and have held a special meeting to decide whether as a group we could continue, as our appeals for extra help have received very little positive feedback.
We have decided to continue in 2020 but will not enter the South West in Bloom competition. We will then in September/October make the decision as to whether we can continue. None of us want to see the group disappear but unless we receive some extra volunteers we are afraid that the outcome will be inevitable. We believe and so do the majority of our population that St Just benefits from the displays. So please if you can help in any way please come forward and contact our present chairman Chris Goninan on 01736 788722 or email bulamrg@aol.com and discuss what you can do for the benefit of our town.
Although the call for volunteers above is still standing, note that due to the Coronavirus 2020 lock down, St Just in Bloom has had to significantly cut back its activities in 2020. For full details on this please see our St Just in Bloom Coronavirus Update 2020 news post.
St Just in Bloom has won a gold medal in the Champion of Champions category of South West in Bloom. We are thrilled with the result and would like to extend our thanks to all those who have helped achieve this!
