Entries open to celebrate community heroes making Sutherland 'blooming beautiful'

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) is inviting community groups, working to boost Sutherland, to join the 2022 Beautiful Scotland and It's Your Neighbourhood initiatives.

Groups with an interest in improving their local environment are welcome to register and take part, with a deadline of April 30.

Run by the charity in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the projects give volunteers and groups the chance to benefit from expert support, resources and recognition for their efforts to protect and enhance their local places. The team of expert volunteers provides mentoring throughout the year.

Following on from the success of last year’s theme of "Climate and Nature Friendly", and joining the national celebration of Scotland’s stories, 2022’s theme will be the "Year of Stories". Groups will have the option to build on last year’s projects or start new projects and focus activities around this, finding innovative and creative ways to tell the tale of their endeavours.

Some ideas are:

• install new interpretation panels to showcase your area’s history or natural wonders
• run a poster or short story competition for young people, with the winners displayed in a prominent location
• use plants to tell a story.

In 2021, KSB supported and celebrated the achievements of over 250 groups across Scotland. The dedicated volunteers overcame the challenges of the last year, finding new ways to look after and enhance the places they care about.

This year a full Beautiful Scotland competition will be held, after a two-year pause, with medal certificates, category awards including a "prestigious" rosebowl, and discretionary awards being presented at a ceremony in the autumn. Judging will be held from August 1-14. There will also be a non-competitive option, allowing groups to connect with others and take part without the pressure of a judge’s visit.

Catherine Gee, deputy CEO of KSB said: “The last year has been very important for action on climate change in communities.

"Volunteers across Scotland make a huge contribution to the essential work being done to tackle the climate and nature emergency we are facing, helping make Scotland clean, green and sustainable for nature and people. As a recognition of this and of the challenges faced by groups over the last year, the registration fee for Beautiful Scotland was removed in 2021 and entry will also be free this year.

Kay Clark, RHS community development manager said: “It is brilliant to see that KSB will be delivering these important campaigns in full. The standard of entries across Scotland is always incredibly high, and we cannot wait to hear the tales of what all the Scottish groups have been up to in this special story-telling themed year.”

An online information session will be held on Thursday, February 17, from 6-7pm. All are welcome – please email for joining instructions at beautifulscotland@keepscotlandbeautiful.org

More info at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org

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