Southport reaches Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2025

Southport is set to shine on the national stage after securing a place in the 2025 Britain in Bloom UK Finals, making it one of only four finalists in the Coastal category.

The prestigious competition, run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), celebrates the best in community gardening and environmental improvement, with Southport in Bloom now in the running to win a Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver, or Bronze award.

One of the category winners will then go on to be named Britain in Bloom Overall Winner for 2025.

The community gardening groups are looking to impress the judges in the summer with their efforts to improve their local area. Each group will be judged against criteria with the environment, community engagement, and horticulture at their core.

For many of this year’s finalists, the scope of community gardening has broadened so that as well as growing they are promoting mental health, enhancing biodiversity, and fostering community cohesion. Instilling a feeling of togetherness in the community is a key motivator for Bloom volunteers.

Each of the 17 Bloom Regions and Nations, which run individual Bloom competitions, nominate the highest-performing entries to compete in the UK Finals. Britain in Bloom judges will visit each of the finalists in the summer of 2025 with the winners of each category announced at an awards ceremony in the autumn.

Kalash Dinine Indian restaurant on Lord Street in Southport

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said:

“Congratulations to the 44 community gardening groups who have secured a place in the 2025 Britain in Bloom UK Finals.

“It is truly inspiring to see Southport in Bloom as one of four finalists in the Coastal category.

“Community gardening gives people a sense of pride and ownership over the public spaces they use, making communities cleaner and greener.

“However, the finalists are judged not only on horticulture and the environment but also on community impact and engagement.

“Southport has demonstrated how strong, compassionate, and united this community is in immeasurable ways in recent times. Flowers and floral displays especially, have now become a powerful symbol of our united desire to heal as a community.

“Making it to the national final of such a prestigious award recognises how blooming special our volunteers and local communities are.”

Pak Ling Wan, RHS Community Programme Manager, said:

“Across the UK, groups are enjoying the benefits gardening brings both to their local communities and their own wellbeing. They are making a real difference to the places we live, making them more welcoming to all, tackling environmental issues and engaging people in their activities that positively impacts the wider community.”