AGM 2023-24

The Chairperson’s Report 22 May 2024

At last year’s AGM we had an interesting talk from Angie & Peter Davey on the restoration of their Edwardian garden in Wormit which was fascinating and we admired all the work they had done over the years.

Our In Bloom group has been running for 14 years now with many supporters and local volunteers.

During this past year we aimed to continue to enhance our 70 street planters in 30 locations by brightening and improving the beauty of both Newport and Wormit villages.    We have purchased and planted bedding plants during May and October and now we are focusing on building up our stock of perennial plants.

We have received praise from locals and visitors alike during the past year for all the work we do in rain or in sunshine.

We currently have 22 Volunteers, 9 of whom make up the Committee.   All our volunteers tend 1, 2 or 3 planters each and work all year round to ensure they are in the best condition.  As well as growing their own plants for us to sell at our twice a year Plant Sales at the Newport Festival and the Rotary Xmas Fair, they are also building a network of growers called our In Bloom Friends. 

Our volunteers also assist with our many events throughout the year such as organising and serving at our Plant Stalls, selling tickets for our Quiz competition, Hamper raffles, and continue to assist in our fundraising.  Let’s not forget the plant watering carried out by Sandy Douglas and Adam Olejnik using the bowser.   Every one of our volunteers has a huge community spirit.

If you have an interest in plants to enhance the area please speak to myself or one of the Committee about becoming a volunteer.

We have received funding from Fife Council for our work in both villages but we continue to need additional funding to purchase not only plants but to maintain the planter boats, tubs and barrier planters too.  The Sunrise Charitable Trust have gifted us funding of over £800 for items such as Hi-viz vests for safety of our volunteers when working near the roadside, and also bulbs, compost and perennial plants.  We thank their committee and Chair, Mr Stephen Rottger for supporting us.  Surplus bedding plants have also been donated to us by Fife Council.

Councillor Jonny Tepp also supported us when we held our Garden Party last summer. We also planted 100 daffodil bulbs celebrating the North Fife Inner Wheel’s centenary.

We are indebted to the following who have given us donations –

Charity Tins are located in the Library, Fig & Fromage, Butchers.

Jenny McLaren of The Natural Energy Company hosts our pop–up Plant Tray on Cupar Road which is very successful. Thank you to all who donated or purchased plants there.  Our own Xmas Wreaths were also sold through the manna café.

Sadly, I report that we have had some vandalism namely plants uplifted, stolen and some planters were upturned which is costly and upsetting for our volunteers who maintain these areas.  But our faith was restored when we received donations in lieu to enable us to replace the plants and a broken boat mast.

By contacting other In Bloom groups, I have established that these incidents happen to them too, so we are not alone.  On a positive note, several volunteers donated plants for their planters as a gesture of goodwill for which we are very grateful.

Our plants are ordered through Growforth via Marion Todd, Wormit, who does an extraordinary job by ordering and storing the plants in her garden area for us to collect and distribute each year.  So a huge thank you to Marion from us all.

We have a new Logo which will appear on our publicity and plant stalls during the year.

Over this next year we will continue to enhance our planting schemes for the benefit of all and know that they will be much appreciated.

The Committee members staying on for a further year are The Office Bearers - myself as Chair, Cynthia Robb, Secretary, Gill Owen, Treasurer. 

Ordinary Committee Members who are continuing for a further year are Liz Olejnik, Kate Legg, Alison Heywood. 

Edna Marshall, Johanne Phillips and Heather Wilson also joined our committee recently.

You will find a QR code on the Agenda.  This enables you to shop whilst raising money FOR FREE via Easyfundraising which helps us to buy more plants.

We look forward to our next venture which is our Plant Sale outside the Tatha Gallery during the Newport Festival on Saturday 22nd June.

Finally I would like to thank all the volunteers who have worked tirelessly over this past year and have helped to make our In Bloom group blossom.