There was some great news earlier in the year – when the chair of SW in Bloom was given a highly prestigious award:
Awarded The Victoria Medal of Honour, Jon Wheatley is recognised as a champion of community involvement and horticultural education. A highly-respected RHS judge for the Britain in Bloom UK Finals competition, Chair of South West in Bloom and Chair of the Judges for the Windlesham Prison Trophy, Jon is a passionate horticulturalist, and has spent his life promoting this in all its aspects to create community partnerships and increased awareness of the benefits of gardening.
Very impressive indeed:
RHS People Awards / RHS Gardening
And two years ago, he had received a further award:
Jon Wheatley and Terry Porter attended the RHS Presentation in Vincent square where the South West In Bloom exhibit at Chelsea was awarded the Lawrence Medal. This is for the best Gold Medal exhibit at any of the RHS shows in 2021. Another tremendous result for South West In Bloom.
And this week Jon paid Glen Goyle a visit – as celebrated in the latest report by FOGG member Katie Frost:
Five eager volunteers turned up at 10am on Thursday, 28th September wearing their hi-viz jackets, keen to meet Jon Wheatley who was coming to visit Glen Goyle… What an interesting, enthusiastic and knowledgeable man Jon Wheatley is. We could have chatted all day about our work and his ideas to support us. He was very impressed with all that we had achieved and called it a ‘gem’. He said that he would prepare a report detailing some further ideas for planting… Jon is passionate about community involvement and the benefits of being outside gardening with a group of like-minded people; it seemed to us that he felt Glen Goyle is an excellent example.
28th September 2023 – Friends of Glen Goyle
Earlier in the summer, the Glen was visited by judges from Britain in Bloom: