Trowbridge Town Council is the driving force in encouraging local partnership working, engendering a combination of organisation and expertise, and a willingness to make our town a better place to enjoy and in which to live.

It supports the Friends of Trowbridge in Bloom committee, which comprises representatives from the Trowbridge and District Chamber of Commerce, Trowbridge Civic Society, Trowbridge Horticultural Society and Wiltshire College, providing funding support.

The new chairman, Jennifer Polledri, representing the Chamber of Commerce, was elected on March 19, 2009, and she is keen to encourage participation by the chamber’s new ‘Retail Group’.

The active committee meets on a quarterly basis and more recently has received the support of the Trowbridge Neighbourhood Partnership.

The current contract covers the installation and maintenance of the hanging baskets. A total of 130 have been installed this summer, along with numerous flower beds, eight planters, and 10 roundabouts in the both the town centre and entrances.

This year has seen the implementation of new black, eco-friendly planter boxes at each entrance to the town, with the addition of new heritage-style Welcome to Trowbridge signs. These sites provide sponsorship opportunities, which are proving to be very popular. Local companies are encouraged to replace the signs for Trowbridge Town Council which are located on all eight entrances to the town with their own company advertising.

In addition to this, sponsorship opportunities are also available on a number of roundabouts in the town, currently displaying Trowbridge Town Council signs, which can be replaced by local companies and organisations’ promotions. An excellent opportunity to promote your business or organisation within your town. If you are interested in securing one of these sites, why not take up the offer of the special reduced ‘credit crunch package’. Call Bill Austin for details on 01225 765072.

More recently the Friends of Trowbridge in Bloom have launched their new corporate identity, with the promotion of the ‘Open Gardens’ weekend which took place on the weekend of June 6 and 7, with 13 local gardens taking part. This was a very successful event, with all ticket monies being donated to the Mayor’s two charities, Disabled on Line (Trowbridge Cyber Café) and Trowbridge Area Community Link Scheme.

The Town Centre has received a new look this year, with nine new tower planters installed. The summer planting is now complete, ensuring Trowbridge will be looking ‘blooming marvellous’ again this year.

The Friends of Trowbridge in Bloom are inviting all residents, including local community organisations, local companies and schoolchildren to participate in the Residential and Commercial competitions; and the Miniature Gardens competition run in conjunction with Ravenscroft Care Home. Judging takes place at their summer fete on Saturday, July 18.

For those interested in photography, there’s the art and photography competition and new for this year, the ‘Beautiful Flowers of Trowbridge’ competition, an idea devised by Friend and former Wiltshire College representative, John Sansom.

The competition is looking for photographers using their imagination to produce memorable photographs, making full use of light and angles. All competition entry forms are available from the Town Council offices, 10/12 Fore Street, or can be downloaded from the community website www.trowbridge.gov.uk.

Be quick, the closing date for the residential and commercial competitions is June 30, and the art and photography is July 6. Presentations of trophies and certificates will take place on Tuesday, October 13, at 7pm at the Civic Hall, which is an open public event.

A hidden treasure to look out for this year is the newly refurbished Textile Garden in Union Street which was opened by Cllr Glyn Bridges in 1999. This was a joint project involving the Trowbridge Civic Society and the Parish Church of St James, with assistance from the former West Wilts District Council, the Shaw Trust and James Long Monumental Masons.

Initially, the garden was designed to commemorate and demonstrate the types of plants used to dye the wool for the woollen trade for which Trowbridge is famous. The garden gradually fell into disrepair and was renovated several times over recent years. More recently it has been given a complete face-lift including the installation of heritage-style railings to complete the look. Ongoing maintenance will be carried out by volunteers. It is hoped to promote the garden further during the Textile and Weaving Festival which will be running at Trowbridge Museum from August 15 to November 14 2009.

Also new this year, the ‘brain child’ of new chair, Jennifer Polledri, is the invitation to all schools to enter into a magical world with the Festival of Imagination, which is designed to stimulate a child’s imagination and create something offering the “Wow” factor.

Allotments are proving ever more popular these days, and vice-chair of the Friends Valerie Fahey, chair of the Gloucester Road Allotment Association, is keen to promote ‘growing your own’. Sally Taylor, a representative of the Trowbridge and District Horticultural Society, is also a keen Friend, and one of the society’s members involved in the Residential and Commercial competition judging, along with the Mayor of Trowbridge, Cllr Jeff Osborn.

Ever aware of the impact on the environment, the Friends are keen to reduce the carbon footprint and currently use eco-friendly planters recycled from foam cups. They are currently looking into sustainable materials for hanging baskets, recycle any waste products, and use the ‘reduce the carbon footprint’ criteria when making any purchase on behalf of the Town Council.

Their policy is also to replace trees that die, and currently under way is a project to replace the four trees surrounding the War Memorial in the Park with commemorative trees, recognising and celebrating the outstanding achievements of the Civic Emergency Services and the Armed Forces during wartime. A ceremonial planting in mid-October is being planned, coinciding with the launch of the Poppy Appeal 2009.

It is hoped that a separate memorial area for families and friends who wish to commemorate a loved one by planting a tree can be located either at an alternative site in Trowbridge Park or elsewhere in the town.

Anyone wanting further information can call Bill Austin, Properties Manager, Trowbridge Town Council, on 01225 765072.

Friends of Trowbridge in Bloom diary events for 2009: June 30, 5.30pm, closing date residential competition; July 3, 6pm, residential judging; July 4, 9.30am, residential judging’ July 5, 9.30am, residential judging; July 6, 10am, commercial judging, 5.30pm, closing date – art and photography competitions; W/C July 6 – TBC, AM, art and photography judging; July 18, 1pm, Miniature Gardens Judging at Ravenscroft summer fete; September 17, 10am, TIB meeting – venue TBC; October 13, 7pm, Awards evening; October 16, TBA, War Memorial Tree Planting and Launch of Poppy Appeal; December 17, 10am, TIB meeting – venue TBC