Southport's Britain in Bloom win shows 'power of gardening'

Getty Images Scores of people crowd around pots of flowers at a outdoor vigil to mark a year since the 2024 attack. The flowers are mainly pink, white and yellow. Getty Images

RHS judges said the town “demonstrated the power of gardening”

Southport has been announced as the overall winner of the annual Britain in Bloom awards after “a year when community was so important”, judges have said.

The Town Hall gardens, which became a focal point following the 2024 tragedy in which three girls were killed at a dance workshop, were among eight areas in the resort praised in the national final.

Darren Share, chair of the judges, said the town “admirably demonstrated the power of gardening together”.

Speaking on BBC’s The One Show, Southport in Bloom’s lead John Dempsey said: “We’re so lucky – we’ve got three heritage parks, a glorious coastline full of rare birds and we manage that with so many great volunteers and our own core staff.”

PA Media Rows of multi-coloured flowers outside the Atkinson Theatre, which is built with light-coloured stone and has a clock tower. People look on from the sides. PA Media

Floral tributes after the 2024 tragedy have since been planted in the town centre

He described the resort town as “mega, if you’ve not been, come along”.

It also won the coastal category and secured a prestigious gold accolade in the awards, run by the Royal Horticultural Society.

RHS Hot pink and white daisies among green shrubs RHS

Pink and white flowers were planted in memory of Bebe, Elsie and Alice in the town

Over the past year, 150 people have spent more than 40,000 hours volunteering to maintain green spaces across the resort, including the herbaceous borders at Rotten Row.

The number of volunteers grew following the 2024 Southport attacks, in which six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed.

Floral tributes were laid in the Town Hall’s gardens, with some later planted in the beds around the building.

Lord Street in Bloom volunteer Helen Marshall described it as “a horticultural hug in those difficult days”.

Getty Images Long green marram grass on sand dunes in front of the sea on a cloudy day. Getty Images

Southport also has miles of beaches and dunes

Judges said they were “bowled over by Southport in Bloom’s passionate dedication”, adding that its Botanic Gardens, opened in 1874, “made a lasting impression”.

The Town Hall gardens will undergo a £10m revamp, which will also become a square and performance area as a “thank you” to the public for their support after the 2024 attack.

It will be inspired by the shared love of Bebe, Elsie and Alice for dance, music and the arts.

Their families want the area to be a “safe and joyful place, full of energy and creative expression, particularly for Southport’s younger generations”.