In our last blog, we were gearing up for plant up day and planning ahead for our entries into Wales in Bloom and Britain in Bloom.
Then everything changed. Sad to say, no event is immune to the impact of COVID-19 and so unsurprisingly both Bloom competitions have been cancelled for 2020. We are hoping that 2021 will be a fresh start and things will have blown over by then...and then we'll show them what Denbigh has to offer!
Unfortunately, this also means that we have to re-consider the other plans we have too. All our schemes are paid for by sponsorships, contributions from grant funds, merchandise sales and generous people with their hearts in our lovely community. For that reason, we are really careful to invest what we have wisely. Tied to that, all our schemes are taken care of and planted by volunteers, so we have to ensure that they are not at risk or posing a risk by being outdoors and in public spaces.
Therefore, with heavy hearts, we have decided that Denbigh in Bloom will not be proceeding with our planned plant up days to provide the floral displays around town. Likewise, we will not be able to provide our ‘Pots for Shops’ this year.
The support that we have had from businesses and community groups in Denbigh has been overwhelming, with more sponsors this year than ever before. Our Pots for Shops scheme has continued to surprise us with its popularity too, with many businesses keen to get involved having seen the stunning displays last year. For those organisations who have paid their sponsorship fees, we are offering a refund and will be contacting them direct with details.
Alternatively, if sponsors wish to leave their order in place, we are happy to keep their details on file and secure the sponsorship for 2021.
It's so disappointing for everyone associated with Denbigh in Bloom, but we have to ensure that we are not putting ourselves or others at risk.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful sponsors. We want to reassure you that everything we had planned for 2020 will go ahead in 2021 and we will be putting Denbigh firmly on the map in both Wales and Britain in Bloom!