Regions & Nations Survey Regions & Nations Meeting 16 November 2011

Survey of Regions & Nations Questionnaire Distributed April/May 2011 Based on 2010 data Completed by 15 regions/nations

Marking / Assessment Bloom Marking Sheet All using the RHS marking sheet 7 with some changes IYN Assessment Form All using the RHS assessment form 3 with some changes

Category Distribution

Other Categories / Special Awards 11 respondents said they run “other” categories Participation figures range from 3 to 184 with a total of 604 participants overall 2 said they don’t run other categories but have special awards 2 simply said they don’t run other categories

Other Categories Hamlet School Garden Tourism Business Awards School Grounds / Gardens Pub, Restaurant & Hotel Grounds / Gardens Town / City Centre Business Improvement Districts Parks Cemeteries Caravan Park (Static & Touring) Hotel Large Hotel Small Tourist Attraction Large Tourist Attraction Small Retail & Business parks Shopping Centres Hospitals Floral Bus / Rail Station Public, Private & Charitable Establishments Guest Houses

Other categories continued… Holiday Cottages Visitor Attractions Business Premises Small Business Premises Large Country Houses, Estates, Parks & Gardens Universities, Colleges & FE Establishments

Special Awards Industry Commerce Residential Homes Churchyards Young People Regional theme Best Commercial Involvement Overall Clean & Tidy Best Community Involvement Best Treatment of Roadsides & Roundabouts Best Park Doing More With Less Best Floral Input Most Improved Award for Outstanding Effort & Enthusiasm Roses in Towns Judges' Award for Outstanding Presentation Best School Garden Best Front Garden Best Hotel/Pub Garden Best Retail/Commercial Premises

R&N Committees Number of committee members ranges from 1 to 25 Total number of committee members is 155 All but 2 regions/nations said their committee members are volunteers 9 regions/nations said they had paid staff (total of 21 people)

Awards Ceremonies 9 regions/nations have one event for Bloom & IYN –IYN may be separate and may be several (eg by county) 12 regions/nations offered a meal at their awards 12 R/N had daytime events, 2 evening and 1 both All R/N held their events on a week day 6 regions/nations charged for their awards; prices range form £12 to £25

Awards Ceremonies / Seminar Attendance Awards attendance ranged from 45 to 1,191 delegates In total 3,606 delegates attended awards ceremonies Seminar attendance ranged from 30 to 250 delegates In total 890 delegates attended seminars Note: not all respondents provided this data

Additional Support / Advice 14 respondents offer some kind of additional support and/or advice or “how to” or “getting started” manuals for new groups

Additional Support / Advice This can include: Guideline Notes on website and in hard copy form Offer of visit from judge or committee member on request Guide with follow up practical advice, support and mentoring Judges / Assessor visits finalists' manual & ad hoc help manual for each new group

Additional Support / Advice Continued… Trustee visit for each new group mock judging for main entries if they will enter next year use of RHS materials via website or on paper mentoring entrants' manual supporters' pack presentations at annual seminar

Additional Support / Advice Continued… phone support visit by judge and if needed do a presentation to their committee useful hints & tips sheet member of Executive mentors / speaks to new groups free advisory visits and mentoring as required extensive guidance notes new entrants workshop bi-annually

Judges 9 respondents run annual judges training Number of judges (Bloom & IYN) ranges from 2 to 72 Total number of judges is 432 Average number of judges per region/nation is 29

Region/Nation Sponsors (general) Some District / Borough / County Councils States of Guernsey council Webbs Quadron Subaru Amey Plantscape (x 4 R/N) Amberol (x 6 R/N) Marches Housing Association CJS Plants MPGA Worshipful Company of Gardeners Windowflowers (x 2 R/N) Glasdon Ltd Trafford Centre Zero Waste Scotland Serco Viridor Southern Water Translink NI Tourist Board NILGA North of England Horticultural Society

Regions/Nations Sponsors continued… Derbyshire Building Society DART Training Naylors Bulbs (in-kind) Barcham Trees Vital Earth

Awards Ceremony sponsors Some general sponsors also sponsor just awards ceremonies in other regions but are not listed again here Local Authorities (various) Querx Patio Plants Exchange House Ferring Nurseries Civic Pride

Funding Regions/nations raised a total of over £230,900 –Ranged from £2,700 to £55,000 per R/N 2 regions/nations reported raising 100% and 1 reported raising 56% of their funds from government bodies/departments; for others it was 0% Most of the funding comes from corporate sponsorship *2 regions/nations did not provide data; 3 said this also inc. additional funding specifically for IYN; none inc. RHS funding for IYN

Funding

Entry Fees 11 regions/nations charge an entry fee Fees range from £5 to £500 dependent on entry size / category

Costs (Bloom) Cost ranged from £3,200 to £32, regions/nations provided this data Average cost works out to £17,400 per R/N

Costs (IYN) Only 4 regions/nations provided data Costs ranged from £3,000 to £30,000

Costs v. Funding (Bloom)