BARWELL IN FULL BLOOM WITH HELP FROM THE HEART OF ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY

Friday 8th July 2022

A group of volunteers who each year devote hours of their free time planting and nurturing thousands of flowers to brighten up their village have received £500 from the Heart of England Co-operative Society.

The Barwell Bloomers have used their donation towards the purchase of more than 2,500 plants and bulbs for this year’s colourful display in and around Barwell Top Town.

Made up of a core group of six, every year the volunteers devote their time to selecting and sourcing the plants, planting them in the 19 planters and 80 hanging baskets which are proudly on display outside shops and businesses in Barwell, and growing and tending the plants.

In addition they maintain the appearance of the planters, adapting displays to events such as the Jubilee, Remembrance Sunday and Christmas, and raise funds on an ongoing basis to help pay for displays for the following year.

Andrea Hines, one of the Barwell Bloomers, said the volunteers are often rewarded with many compliments from local residents and workers, some of whom will show their appreciation by donating to the cause.

She said: “When they see us watering the flowers or tending the displays passers by of all ages will stop us to show their appreciation – often saying the displays give them a sense of pride over Barwell.

“The support from the Heart of England Co-operative Society over the years has been great. The flowers really help enhance the appearance of the village, not least in front of The Co-operative store, and the Store Manager himself often comes out and helps water the planters in the mornings. The support from the Society is enormous and very much appreciated.”

The donation was one of six totalling £2,250 pledged to charities and worthy causes in and around Hinckley in the most recent round of awards from the Society’s Helping Hearts Awards Scheme.

Other awards included £350 to Islastones Foundation, which raises funds for research into childhood cancer, and to help affected families, £250 for new shirts and hoodies for Sapcote Cricket Club players, £500 towards Market Bosworth Festival, £150 of goods to Sapcote Parish Council for the village’s Jubilee celebrations, and £500 towards sponsorship and new kits for AFC Barwell Falcon Under 13s.