National Highways helps bloom group grow for gold

National Highways and its partners in Lancashire are helping a Britain in Bloom group grow for gold this year.

The team involved in delivering the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool bypass regularly volunteered to help members of the RHS Poulton In Bloom group during the project, assisting with litter picking and planting.

Now, with the transformative bypass complete, National Highways has donated striking high-visibility purple jackets for bloom group volunteers, keeping them safe as they undertake their work.

A bug hotel has also been donated as the bloom team strive to improve the local environment in and around the town for all to enjoy.

It’s just one example of the significant social value work undertaken by National Highways and its partners Kier involved in delivering the A585 bypass scheme.

National Highways project manager Dan Moore said:

“We always want to do all we can to improve the wellbeing of the communities we are involved with, helping people enjoy healthier lives and leaving a legacy. It’s not just about building roads; it’s about being a good neighbour and continuing to support communities.”

Jon Hornsby, project director at Kier said:

“We’re passionate about positively impacting the communities where we work, and our team members were proud to support the RHS Poulton In Bloom group and the important work they do. This is just one example of the positive lasting legacy from our community engagement initiatives. We look forward to hearing more about the group’s success in the future.” 

Stephanie Smith, RHS Poulton In Bloom secretary, added:

“We would like to say a massive thank you to National Highways and Kier. They have been marvellous. The Hi-Vis jackets will keep us visible while we are out on the road, and the funds have also enabled us to buy a bug hotel which is amazing for the biodiversity of the area.”   

The structure will be placed within the grounds of St Chad’s Church in Poulton, providing a valuable home for many species of insect including solitary bees, which are important pollinators, as well as butterflies.

The bloom group has been highly successful in recent years, enjoying a hat-trick of gold accolades in RHS Britain In Bloom competitions over the last three years.

Stephanie explained: “There are 15 of us in the group to take care of the town, classed as a large town by Britain In Bloom, and we take care of all the planting, the planters, the churchyard and provide all the Remembrance displays. 

“We have a good deal of support from the town, the residents and businesses and we will be going for gold again in the Britain In Bloom contest this summer. We are proud of our achievements and will be striving to keep our gold standard as it is precious.”

Money for the jackets and bug hotel was provided from the National Highways Social Value Funding initiative, designed to provide access to funding for groups, charities and organisations from £500 to £10,000.

It is just one example of how the A585 team supported the community throughout the project. This extended to working with local schools, providing work placements and apprenticeships, and supporting no less than 25 local organisations, charities and enterprises, equating to a social and environmental value of nearly £24,000. 

The new A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool bypass in Poulton-le-Fylde, built around the village of Little Singleton, opened to traffic earlier last year. Approximately three miles of new road was added around the village, bringing much-needed capacity to deliver smoother and more reliable journeys. 

Notes to Editors

Pictures:

The RHS Poulton In Bloom group celebrate receipt of their distinctive purple Hi-Vis jackets from National Highways.

RHS Poulton In Bloom secretary Stephanie Smith with the group’s new bug hotel with, from left, Gaynor Wainwright and Jill Doyle from Kier, and National Highways representatives Eleri Evans and Faye Gurney.

Video:

You can view a video of Stephanie explaining more about the group’s work on our social media channels.