Wellington in Bloom

What is Wellington in Bloom?

In 1960 the British Tourist Board launched the Britain in Bloom campaign to encourage the nation to brighten up its gardens with manicured lawns, summer bedding plants, and hanging baskets. In 1982 Keep Britain Tidy took over the responsibility for the campaign and widened the appeal to include keeping our communities free from litter and graffiti. The country is split up into regions (e.g. South West in Bloom) where villages, towns, and cities compete against similar sized settlements. The winners of each region are then pitted against each other at the main Britain in Bloom awards.

Wellington began entering this competition in 1984 under the title of Wellington in Bloom and had a dedicated group of volunteers, in partnership with the then Taunton Deane Borough Council, behind its organisation. The group saw huge success in the 90s and 00s, winning numerous silver and gold awards in the Portman Cup for many years running, even being the champions of the South West in 2005.

Throughout the years the members of Wellington in Bloom dwindled as they aged with some sadly passing away. Participation slowed down and even ceased for a time in the 2010s due to knock-on effects of the recession and the pressure on remaining members. In 2018 they invited Transition Town Wellington, by then a well-established group in the town, to take over some of the projects that the in bloom team were less able to do as they got older. Regrettably, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the remaining members were unable to continue with Wellington in Bloom and took the tough decision to close down the group in 2020.

Things remained dormant in the years following the pandemic with Somerset Council continuing their regular maintenance of open spaces within the town. In the background, Wellington Town Council had a new team of officers and were working with Councillors to bring services back into the ownership of the town through devolution. In 2024 Open Spaces Manager Darren Hill joined the WTC team after over 25 years working with Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset Council. He grew up in Wellington and Wellington Park inspired him to pursue a career in horticulture. In 2024 Wellington Town Council entered the town for South West in Bloom for the first time as an authority and elected to keep the name “Wellington in Bloom” for the competition to honour the people who worked for decades to improve the town. The town won silver in this competition.

On 1st April 2025 Wellington Town Council officially took over the ownership and management of open spaces within the town, bringing them into local ownership for the first time in over 50 years. The 2025 South West in Bloom competition saw Wellington win gold for the first time since 2008, bringing our town back as top contenders in the South West.

If you would like to learn more about the history of Wellington in Bloom, we have a book available for purchase written by the former chair of Wellington in Bloom, Isabel Ward, in our reception at 30 Fore Street.

Who is involved?

While Wellington Town Council are the owners of the open spaces around the town and manage the entry to the competition, there are a range of community groups and businesses that contribute to Wellington in Bloom to make the town the best it can be.

Community Groups

Wellington Basins Volunteer Group

The Basins were created in the early 19th century to provide a consistent water supply for Tonedale Mill, the largest employer in the town for many years.

Today the area is a beautiful place to visit and walk through, with many mature tree and lots of wildlife. Wellington Basins Volunteer Group meet every Tuesday and maintain and improve the area known as the Basins, they have improved aspects such as fencing, drainage, and overall maintenance. This area is very welcoming and is well used by a range of groups and individuals. There is now a mobile coffee van that parks on the site to provide refreshments and a meeting point.

Wellington Community Farm

Wellington Community Food is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme and Community Benefit Society that was established in 2022. They are a not-for-profit organisation that is committed to providing our community with affordable, fresh, and locally grown produce.

Wellington Community Food are committed to being a sustainable and thriving community food hub. They envision a future where our community has access to an abundance of fresh, healthy, and locally grown food.

In their first year, they distributed over 414 veg boxes to their members and harvested over 2 tonnes of vegetables, growing 58 varieties. They have also forged strong connections with local schools and businesses since their inception and continue to work closely with schools as an educational resource.

Green Days Care

Green Days Day Care provides personal centred care for adults with learning disabilities including autism and various other conditions which can affect or delay social, emotional, educational or work skills development.

A group from Green Days visit Wellington Park every week throughout the spring and summer to weed and maintain flowerbeds, including one that is managed solely by them with a plaque to denote this.

This hands-on activity provides opportunities for social and emotional growth while imparting valuable skills that these students have shown and interest in. By working in Wellington Park, Green Days students are able to experience personal growth within an environment that provides emotional security using a safe, stimulating, responsive and flexible approach by staff.

Reminiscence Learning

Friends of Wellington Park

Transition Town Wellington

Friends of Swains Nature Reserve

Community Payback Scheme

Businesses

Riverside Plant Nurseries

Waitrose

Local Companies