Beautiful Scotland celebrates and supports the achievements of communities who have come together to make positive and lasting improvements to their village, town or city. This Scotland-wide campaign is run by Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB), the charity for Scotland’s environment, in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
The key criteria of the campaign are known as the Three Pillars, which are Horticultural Achievement, Environmental Responsibility and Community Participation. Evidence must be shown that efforts are sustained throughout the year.
Dundee enters two categories in Beautiful Scotland. One is for Broughty Ferry (Coastal Town) and the other is for Dundee (Large City). Each entry is coordinated by a group of volunteers, they are:
• Bonnie Dundee
• Broughty Ferry in Bloom
These two groups, although adopting different methods of working, are both made up of members of the community and are supported by Council officers. They aim to help improve the built and natural environment of Dundee for the city’s residents and visitors.
Dundee first competed in the Beautiful Scotland Campaign in 2005 and has achieved awards each year since. The 2018 campaign proved to be a great success, Bonnie Dundee were City Category winners and achieved a Silver Gilt medal whilst Broughty Ferry in Bloom were awarded a Gold medal for the first time. Also the Slessor Gardens and Waterfront area was awarded the Visit Scotland Award for Tourism.
How To Get Involved
Bonnie Dundee and Broughty Ferry in Bloom hold monthly meetings to co-ordinate suitable activities and projects for their Beautiful Scotland campaigns. These groups are always looking for volunteers to help take their campaign forward and show Dundee looking at its best.
So if you would like to get involved, click on each group’s name to find out more!
It’s Your Neighbourhood
It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN) is a community environmental improvement campaign which runs alongside Beautiful Scotland but (unlike Beautiful Scotland) it is non-competitive and has a greater emphasis on community participation than horticultural achievements. Again this campaign is run by Keep Scotland Beautiful in conjunction with the RHS.
The campaign is designed to give support and recognition to volunteer led community groups across Scotland who are interested in cleaning up and greening up their local area. It is based on the three themes of Community Participation, Environmental Responsibility and Gardening Achievement. Entrants are visited by an assessor who will look at the work that has been done under these themes and award the entry points and a certificate. The assessor will also give advice and information to support the group’s efforts.
There were 18 IYN groups in Dundee who registered with the scheme in 2018. These range from school groups, Friends groups and wildlife sites to community allotments and gardens. Perhaps you have a project you would like to enter?
How To Get Involved
Please let us know if you would like to get involved in It’s Your Neighbourhood. For more details contact Sally McConville on 01382 433141 or email sally.mcconville@dundeecity.gov.uk.
