Lisburn Castlereagh area fairs 'Best' for Floral Displays at the Best Kept Awards
October 18, 2018
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s area received four awards at the Best Kept Awards 2018 including the top honour of ‘Best of the Best’ for Hillsborough’s floral displays.
Hillsborough was awarded the Best Large Village and Best of the Best, Maghaberry won Best Newcomers and Moira was Runner up in the Small Town category.
This year’s awards took place at the iconic Ardhowen Theatre in Enniskillen and were in association with George Best Belfast City Airport.
Alderman James Tinsley, who attended the Awards, said: “It is wonderful that the fantastic efforts of the Council and local communities has been recognised regionally by a panel of independent judges. To have Hillsborough, home of the Queen’s residence in Northern Ireland, crowned ‘Best of the Best’, the prestigious overall award is excellent news.
“This charming village impressed the judges with the extensive community involvement and effort from local businesses to work with the Council to improve the village. Hillsborough stood out to the judges due to its artistic floral arrangements, colourful hanging baskets and residents’ enthusiasm for working as a team to create something beautiful.
“Maghaberry received the ‘Welcome Award’, which is designated for areas which have not entered before or within the past five years. The judges were impressed with the progress made over the last year with residents taking great pride in their community, creating a beautiful space with flowers and hanging baskets decorating the village. There was strong partnership working evident between the local community groups, businesses and churches. I have no doubt that winning this award will be a further inspiration for Maghaberry to continue to make practical improvements to its community which is enjoyed by everyone.
“Moira was a runner-up this year but this historic village has a proven track record of floral awards including having won the ‘Best Small Village’ category in recent years. The local Moira community works hard each year to maintain a high aesthetic standard to this popular village, which is home to many shops, eateries and boutiques. Moira is full of floral colour and has very welcoming locals who make you feel at home.”
These awards were organised by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council and its president, Doreen Muskett, said: “It is wonderful to recognise the excellent efforts that have been put in from each town and village represented. The fantastic work that has been carried out, largely by volunteers, emphasises the value of civic pride and the importance of making practical improvements to future-proof our communities.
“The Best Kept Awards would cease to exist if it wasn’t for our judges, volunteers and enthusiastic participants from across Northern Ireland. A special thank you to Belfast City Airport for its continued support of the awards and dedication to environmental initiatives.”
Michelle Hatfield, Director of Corporate Services at Belfast City Airport, added: “On behalf of Belfast City Airport, I want to congratulate Hillsborough and its residents for their unwavering loyalty to their community. Their impressive landscaping is a result of hard work throughout the year, which has led them to be crowned the ‘Best of the Best’.
“It is an honour to support the Best Kept Awards, now it its 61st year. Hearing about the direct impact that volunteers have on residents, businesses and the wider community is incredible, with ongoing efforts taking place to maintain the high aesthetic standard that the awards demand.
“The Best Kept Awards have helped to motivate and inspire generations to get involved locally, something that Belfast City Airport also encourages through its Corporate Responsibility programme, which supports various clubs, groups, schools and environmental initiatives throughout Northern Ireland.”