Appeal for volunteers to help keep Knutsford blooming

There are currently a number of posters around town appealing for volunteers to join the group which was formed in September 2009.

Group chairman Barry Tilby, 72, from Knutsford said: “It’s a pleasure to make the town look even more beautiful and is very rewarding when people are very complimentary.

“It's a very social group and gets us out and about in the fresh air improving our own well being, and also that of residents and visitors.”

Around 15 members make up the group which regularly tends to plant boxes and flower beds around the town.

Their mission is to make Knutsford ‘a beautiful floral town’ so it’s an attractive place to live, work and visit, as well as encouraging local sustainable planting projects.

The group are looking for people to help with their existing planters and beds, as well as individuals who have new ideas on how they can help keep Knutsford in bloom.

The Toft Road planters

Barry, a keen gardener who joined the group once he retired, said: “We are a small but dedicated group and always need more helpers - not only for the present but also to look to the future as our membership ages we need more younger recruits to take over.

“Some of the areas especially in the summer take a lot of effort to water and that's where we need cover and back up. We cannot take on more work unless we have more volunteers.”

The group works in conjunction with Cheshire East council to help coordinate the town’s entry into the annual Northwest in Bloom competition where judges’ assess the town’s effort across horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation.

Thanks to the team’s efforts, Knutsford has won gold since 2017.

In 2019, Knutsford was also awarded Best Commercial Effort in recognition of the outstanding displays from our town centre businesses.

The group is responsible for looking after the following planters: